


Soul of a Man

by MsPerception427



Series: Redemption [4]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, Healing, Hurt Theo Raeken, Implied/Referenced Suicide attempt, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Protective Liam Dunbar, Protective Pack, Redemption
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2019-11-16 12:57:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 23,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18094745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsPerception427/pseuds/MsPerception427
Summary: The summer after freshmen year was supposed to be one of healing after an almost tragic ending. It was all going well until Hayden returned looking to pick up where she left off with both the Pack and with Liam.





	1. Merry Go Round Spiraling Down

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger warning: This story does contain discussion about a suicide attempt. It is only discussed in the aftermath but it does occur.

Liam was a whirlwind of movement as he raced around his house trying to make sure he had everything he needed before Theo arrived. According to Scott’s text message, he would be dropping his brother off in ten minutes. Liam had all of Theo’s favorite things together but he needed to make sure. It had to be perfect. He had to make sure that Theo was beyond happy when he went home (hopefully the next morning). It wasn’t just that Theo deserved the very best. It was also that Liam needed to prove to the pack and himself, mostly himself, that he deserved Theo. 

He took a deep breath as he entered the kitchen to grab Theo’s preferred snacks. He had been saving this part for last for a reason. Though his home kitchen was far different than the one he shared with Theo near campus, it was the idea that had him shaking. It didn’t matter that the tile there was an off white and their kitchen was slate gray. He could still feel the same mind-numbing panic when he stepped over the threshold as he did that day less than a month ago. The day he came home to find Theo passed out on their kitchen floor after an overdose of his medication and wolfsbane. 

Realistically, Liam knew it wasn’t his fault. There was no reality in which he would ever want to live his life without Theo. So he definitely didn’t have an active role in Theo’s decision. But he played a significant part. College was harder on the two boys than they thought. And between lacrosse, work and classes all trips home were few and far between. Theo supported them for the most part, somehow managing to balance working two jobs with a nearly perfect GPA while also maintaining Liam’s increased IED episodes. At the time he believed Theo was a saint with the way he never complained and yet held it down. Now Liam knew better. Theo did what Theo always did when he felt overwhelmed: he faked it until it all fell apart in the most spectacularly awful ways. 

And Liam hoped it never got worse than coming home after one of the biggest fights in their relationship to find his boyfriend unconscious with several empty pill bottles around him. Instead of giving Theo flowers and spending the night showing the chimera just how sorry he was about exploding on him, Liam was giving him CPR and keeping his heart beating until paramedics could arrive. He was holding his hand as his father instructed the staff of their local hospital how to treat a chimera with severe wolfsbane poisoning and an overdose on medication. He was then calling their friends, their family… their pack and telling them all what happened. 

Realistically, Liam knew it wasn’t his fault but he felt like it was. If he had just tried a little harder. If he had asked more questions about how Theo was really feeling instead of trusting the blank smiles and bland masks. Instead, he let his own perceived inadequacies and imagined shortcomings build up until he was lashing out at the one person who needed him the most. He wasn’t there for Theo then but damned if he wasn’t going to do everything in his power to be there for him now. 

With that in mind, he pushed through the memories of that night and ignored feeling like he could see Theo’s body on the floor and just focused on the knowledge that in a few minutes he would have the real, living breathing version in his arms. He was going to prove to himself that he was worth all the trust the pack put in him when they moved away. He was going to show that he loved Theo. And maybe just maybe the rest of the damn pack would see that and get rid of the idea that the couple had to be supervised. Today would be the first time they would be alone together since that night and Liam knew that he would probably find Scott lurking in a bush with Isaac and/or Derek sitting on his porch because he wouldn’t be ashamed of the fact that he was spying on them in the least bit. Liam would be offended that they don't trust him but he’s just happy Theo has so many people that care. 

He was up in his room cueing up a movie and setting up Theo’s favorite snacks in order of preference when he hears the door open downstairs. A quick glance at the clock tells him that Theo was a few minutes earlier than he anticipated but that could also be due to Scott’s weird internal clock that had him alternately too early or too late almost always. 

“Come on up!” Liam yelled over his shoulder. “I’m just getting everything set up.” 

He heard hesitant footsteps coming up the stairs but didn’t bother to sense any further. Theo’s scent had been off since the hospital. It wasn’t like the time with the hunters. Back then he physically bounced back quickly. Now he was… fragile. He hated using that word, especially in regards to his fierce chimera, but it was accurate. Deaton speculated that Theo wasn’t letting himself recover this time. Hence the pack collectively treating him like glass. 

The footsteps stop just outside his door and Liam was turning to ask him why he didn’t just come in when he caught a scent that was both familiar yet strange at the same time. It was strange because it didn’t belong here. Not anymore. And familiar because it was…

“Hayden.”

“Hey, Li,” she said, a soft smile curling her lips. She looked the same as he remembered. Her face was a little leaner but she was the same woman he loved… the same woman who left him when he needed that love the most. When he needed an anchor the most. 

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m back in town. For good. Hunters came after me and my sister. She knows I’m a werewolf now. And we both decided that it wasn’t going to be safe anywhere so we might as well be home and not safe. Here in town where we know people. Where you are.” 

Liam couldn’t deny the sharp breath he took at that moment. Two years ago this would’ve been his dream. But that was before when his dreams were full of warm brown eyes and kind smiles. Now he dreams of eyes that change color depending on their owner’s mood, of wicked smirks and a sharper wit. Hayden was his past and he wasn’t interested in looking back. 

“Sorry about the hunters,” Liam shrugged. “They wreaked havoc all over.”

“I’m not,” Hayden said, fully stepping into the room. “Of course, I hate that they put my sister in danger but I’m not mad that I get to come home where I belong. That we can have a chance again.”

Liam took a step back. “We can’t actually. I’m not going to lie and say I haven’t dreamed of this moment before. But that was in the past. I moved on a long time ago. And even if I hadn’t, I’m with someone now and it’s really serious. We’ve been together for a year and a half. We even live together at school. There’s definitely no hope for you and me.”

“Oh,” Hayden said, faltering a bit. Her smile dropped slightly. “Who’s the lucky girl?”

Liam smirked. “Theo.”

Her smile fell altogether as she arched an eyebrow. “Theo Raeken? The evil chimera of death Theo? Are you serious?!”

“Yeah, we’re actually pretty damn serious. If I wasn’t sure Melissa and Chris would shoot me in the balls, I would marry that man tomorrow. But Melissa and Chris will shoot me in the balls. So I’m willing to wait.”

Hayden laughed slightly hysterically.  “Okay, you almost had me for a second. Liam, if you didn’t want to get back together with me, you could just say so. You don’t have to lie.”

“Why would I lie to you about who I’m dating?”

“Well, then you’re delusional! You can’t stand here and tell me that you’re actually in love with Theo Raeken! Not after everything he’s done.  He’s a monster, Liam! He’s not even capable of love!”

“Take that…”

“We were so good together,” Hayden said, cutting him off abruptly. She took another step towards him crowding him against his bedroom wall. “We could still be good together.”

Liam stared at her in surprise. He knew he tended to look at his romantic partners with rose tinted glasses but he didn’t remember Hayden being this batshit crazy before. She had always been a bit grandiose but this? She disappeared out of his life for two years and somehow thought he was going to take her back? That he was going to break up with someone for her? Break up with Theo for her?!

His train of thought short-circuited as she pushed him further against the wall and kissed him. It was full of passion and fire like all of Hayden’s kisses. But it was wrong. It burned. He was used to kisses that soothed and comforted. That loved. This was wrong. He pushed her away from him just as a familiar heartbeat filled his ears. No no no no no…

“Theo.” The chimera’s name spilled from his lips as he took in his stricken expression.

His already too pale face was devoid of any color. Liam could make out the faint tremors in his hands. A heavy silence fell over the trio that was only broken by a car engine turning over outside. Theo’s eyes widened. They were a stormy gray. They were only that color when he was miserable. Liam was painfully familiar with that color for the past few months. He hated seeing it again. He stepped forward to reach for him when Theo let out a laugh that sounded too much like a sob. 

“Oh, so congratulations. Hayden is back. That’s, uh, cool. So yeah. I’m just going…” 

He backpedaled out the room with a quickness he hadn’t shown in a while. He was spinning on his heels and down the hall before Liam could even react. He ran after Theo, pounding down the stairs hoping to catch him but the chimera was faster. He was yanking Roscoe’s door open even as Scott was attempting to drive away. 

“Theo? What’s…?” Scott started, looking shocked by Theo’s sudden reappearance in the car. Theo closed his eyes sinking into the passenger seat. 

“Drive, Scott. Please? Just drive. Drive!” 

“What’s…. Hayden?” 

Liam glanced over his shoulder to see that his ex had indeed followed him downstairs. He growled under his breath and looked back at Scott in time to see the red of his alpha eyes before he was tearing down their driveway. It still wasn’t fast enough for Liam to miss the tears streaming down Theo’s cheeks. Fuck! 

This was not how today was supposed to go. He and Theo should’ve been starting  _ The Lord of the Rings _ right now and instead, Theo was gone. Hayden was here and Theo was gone. Two years ago, this would’ve been perfect but now….

“Do me a favor and stay the hell away from me!” Liam hissed, turning to face his ex. “I’m going to try and convince my very emotionally fragile boyfriend that what he saw was most definitely a mistake that will never happen again.”

“Liam..”

“No! I don’t want to hear it. If you just cost me the most important thing to me, I’m not responsible for what I’ll do to you. And you better hope that this didn’t do anything that can’t be reversed because you’ll be lucky if it’s me coming after you. A lot has changed, Hayden. I’m not the only one who loves Theo.”

He didn’t bother to say anything more. Instead, he ran up to his room to try and do as much damage control as possible. He called Theo first and wasn’t surprised when his boyfriend failed to pick up. He tried Scott next but was once again ignored. He was about to try Corey when a message from message appears on his phone. 

‘ _ Dude! You kissed Hayden?! Seriously?! We’re going to have words but for now? Run! _ ’

Ah, dammit. This is exactly what he was worried about. Theo could be reasoned with. Even Scott. But the other members of the self-appointed Theo Protection Squad were beyond irrational to what they perceived as threats to Theo’s overall happiness. Those threats could, and did apparently, include Liam, who was the founder and president of the Theo Protection Squad. He thought about running but he knew it was better to stand his ground. He didn’t do anything here except not punch Hayden in the face. There was still time for that. Although he might leave it to Malia as a sign of good faith. 

But if he ran, he would look more guilty. Like he actually had something to hide. And he didn’t. If he ran away, it would take that much longer to convince Theo that what he saw wasn’t real. And so he waited. 

Twenty minutes after Theo ran away, Liam heard several vehicles pulling up outside, including Roscoe. He tried to listen for Theo’s heartbeat but he couldn’t detect it over the thunderous pulse of the more dangerous members of the Theo Protection Squad. He was really hoping that this could’ve been squashed before it got that far but apparently not.

Liam rushed down the stairs, pausing only to throw an incredulous look at Hayden who was still there! He opened the door just in time for Alec to leap through and for the second time that morning Liam found himself pressed against a wall by someone who wasn’t Theo. He definitely was not a fan. 

“Give me one good reason why,” Alec snarled, eyes flashing gold. Isaac and Malia filed in behind him and Liam wasn’t stupid enough to think they were on his side. 

“Al, it’s really not what you think,” Liam said through gritted teeth. 

“Then why is she still here?!” 

“Great question. I kicked her out half an hour ago!” Liam retorted. “But she just won’t leave! Can’t imagine why the girl who didn’t get the hint that I don’t want her back and that I definitely didn’t want to kiss her but kissed me anyway wouldn’t follow the direct order to get the hell out of my house.”

“She what?” Alec asked, loosening his grip on Liam significantly. Anything else he was going to say was cut off as Scott and Mason walked in. 

Scott threw his little brother, boyfriend, and ex-girlfriend a significantly less than amused look even as he stepped over to where Alec was still holding onto Liam. He started to say something when he seemed to notice Hayden watching them with a confused expression on her face. Scott turned his attention back to Liam with disappointment in his eyes. 

“Really, Liam? After everything he’s been through this year, this is how you’re choosing to break up with him?!”

“Okay, first of all,” Liam shouted, pushing Alec away at last. “I am not breaking up with Theo! I don’t know many times I have to tell you people that he and I are endgame. He’s it for me. I don’t want anyone else and it sure as shit isn’t gonna be Hayden even if I did lose my damn mind.”

He could sense her sadness at the callous rejection but she also hurt the man he loved. She was lucky she was only getting a verbal lashing. 

“Second, I didn’t kiss Hayden. She launched herself at me and kissed me. Probably because she heard Theo coming up the stairs and wanted to start shit. Which congratulations, you succeeded in at least one thing today besides ensuring that we are never, ever, ever getting back together. So yeah, good job!” 

Mason let out a poorly concealed snort while Alec grinned seemingly against his will. Isaac and Malia both relaxed while Scott was watching Hayden with that disappointed face. Good. 

“And finally my third point is that I would never hurt Theo intentionally. I wanted him to come over today to show him that I love him. I would never do something that exceptionally cruel. Especially to not Theo. I… I never want to hurt you. I love you,” he said to the empty space next to the front door that was taking suspiciously shaky breaths. “I love you so much, Theo.”

A second later, the air rippled and their resident chimeras were revealed. Corey had an arm wrapped around Theo’s shoulders in a move that was comforting and protective. Still, there was no malice in the chamelon’s face as he pushed Theo slightly forward. He looked sadder than before he left. Liam swallowed the lump in his throat as he looked at the red-rimmed eyes and bitten raw lip that had barely healed before Theo was biting it once again. 

Theo stopped a few feet away from Liam. The others moved to the side to allow the couple their moment. But Liam noticed that Alec and Malia were hyper alert. If Theo made any indication he wasn’t happy with where this was going, they would be ready and willing to whisk him away while also finding a way to destroy Liam. Things really had changed in two years. Liam took a slight step further. 

“I love you. Okay?”

“Yeah?” Theo finally asked, his voice soft. His arms were wrapped around his stomach in an effort to hide the no doubt trembling hands. “I understand, you know? If you wanted to… leave me. I get it. These last few months have been…”

“And I’m going to stop you right there,” Liam interrupted. One, because nothing he was about to say was true and two, Hayden didn’t need to know his business like that. She didn’t need to see a chink in his armor any more than she was at the moment. “Theo, nothing about this year… this last month has made me love you less. If anything it’s made me love you even more than I thought I could.”

“But I….”

“Yeah, we’ve had some especially rough spots but it wasn’t anything that you did. I still love you. I will always love you. Through the ups and even the really down downs. We’re in this together, T. For better or for worse.” 

“Keep talking like that. Melissa really is going to shoot you if you keep going on about marrying him,” Mason snarked though his voice sounded distant to Liam as he continued to stare at his chimera. 

“Okay,” Theo said, quietly. He lifted his gaze up to meet Liam’s.“It’s… we’re okay.”

“So I don’t get to rip Liam’s face off?” Alec asked, sounding just a little too disappointed by that. Stupid little jerk. “What about little Miss Consent Isn’t Sexy over there?”

“No,” Scott replied sharply. “No ripping Liam or Hayden’s faces off. Mom will kill you if you get blood on your clothes. Again.” 

“Okay, valid point. But seriously?! She kissed Liam even though he so clearly didn’t want it. That’s not cool.”

“It’s fine,” Theo said, heartbeat skipping a beat. “It’s okay. They have a history together. It’s… it’s fine. No ripping anyone’s faces off.” 

“Fine!” Alec said dramatically throwing his arms in the air. “Well if this domestic drama is over for the day, I’m going back to my summer reading list. Call me if you need to me to come back and you know. Rip.”

“You’re very obsessed with face ripping,” Isaac murmured, draping an arm over Alec’s shoulder. “This violent streak you’ve developed is weird and new but I like it. Stay weird, kiddo. Don’t let the man get you down.” 

“Isaac, first, off I’m their brother, not the man. Second, do not encourage my little brothers more than they encourage each other!” Scott chided even as he followed after them. 

Mason left with Malia and Hayden. The coyote was practically dragging his ex and Liam couldn’t find it in him to protest the rough treatment. Not when Theo was still hunched into his sweatshirt looking like he was minutes away from running away. Again. Corey whispered something that Liam made it a point not to listen to that had Theo relaxing minutely. The younger chimera threw Liam a quick smile and left as well. 

Now it was just them and it was what Liam wanted but it also felt wrong. Hayden’s surprise appearance threw everything off. They were supposed to be cuddling and happy. Instead, Theo was doubting himself even more. Sighing, he did the only thing he could think of. He tugged on Theo’s wrist until the older teen was flush against his chest. His face hiding in the crook of Liam’s neck. 

“Remember that time right before we graduated when I had that really bad episode? I punched a hole in the gym wall.”

Theo hummed in acknowledgment but didn’t speak. Still, Liam knew he was paying attention and getting the point as he relaxed a little more. 

“You remember how everyone but you ran away from me? You just walked up to me with your stupid beautiful smile and held me in your ridiculously muscular arms as I fell apart. You weren’t scared of me. You never are. Mason is my best friend. He’s practically my brother and he’s scared of me when I get like that. Even Scott is. But not you. Never you.” 

Theo sniffled and Liam felt the hot flush of his face and the tears he was still trying to hold back. He tightened his hold on Theo, swaying them where they stood. 

“That just proved to me what I think already knew. That we’re meant to be. Why would I ever want anyone other than the brave, reckless but amazing person who would do that? The answer is that I wouldn’t. We’re in this together. Okay?”

“Okay,” Theo murmured. He took another moment before pulling back somewhat. Liam kept his grip on Theo’s hip, not letting him get too far. “I’m sorry for all of this. It was stupid.”

“Hey, it wasn’t stupid,” Liam reassured him, cupping his cheek. “I get how it looked. But just know that I would never hurt you like that.”

“I do know that,” Theo said, heartbeat steady. “It’s just sometimes my stupid garbage brain tells me that you would better off without me. That everyone would be better off without me. And it gets hard not to listen.”

Liam swallowed. “I know. But I wouldn’t be better without you. I don’t know what I would do without you. I love you and your stupid garbage brain too.”

Theo gave him a watery smile and nodded. “Thank you. I’m still sorry.” 

“Nope. There’s only one person who needs to be sorry and it’s definitely not you. But I have a feeling she’s getting the message.”

“Yeah. I imagine she is. Malia didn’t look too happy with her.” 

“Well yeah. She’s like your self appointed sister. She’s not going to stand by and let anyone make you feel less than. You get that, right?”

“Sometimes,” Theo admitted, mustering another smile. “It’s hard sometimes.”

“I know but I’ll be here every day to tell you otherwise,” Liam smiled, leaning forward to meet Theo for a sweet kiss. He pulled away and cupped his boyfriend’s wet cheeks between his hands, thumbs idly brushing away stray tears until a small smile formed on Theo’s lips. “Now that we’ve got that unpleasantness out of the way, it’s time for my actual plan.”

“Oh, the secret plan you wouldn’t tell me about but enlisted Scott in?”

“I needed someone to help get the ban lifted. And it worked. You’re welcome!” 

“You’re such a dork,” Theo said fondly. His arms winding around Liam’s waist as he pressed his forehead against Liam’s. “I love you.” 

“Love you too. But you’re not going to distract me from my plan. My amazing get my perfect beautiful and amazing boyfriend to smile and be happy because he deserves the world plan.” 

“Your plan needs a better name.”

“Bring back my sunshine?” 

Theo snorted. “If anyone is sunshine around here, it’s definitely you.”

Liam hummed in acknowledgment. “Oh, what about moonlight? Because you make me lose control but I’m also better now with the moon than I was before.”

Theo’s eyes widened even as the orbs darkened into the forest green he loved so much. He didn’t know how long it had been missing until this moment. Theo smiled broadly. His grin splitting his face in half. 

“You are such a sap!”

“That I am. But only for a certain chimera,” Liam murmured, pleased when Theo moved in for a kiss first. He deepened the kiss on instinct, smiling as Theo let out a muffled moan. And as much as he was loving hearing those sounds come from his chimera, Liam had plans and they were already delayed enough. So with a sigh, he moved away from Theo. “Come on, I got everything set up for us upstairs.”

Theo tilted his head to the side but followed Liam willingly. His eyes sparkled as he took in the snacks that were clearly picked out for him. Liam settled on the bed and made grabby hands gestures at Theo until the older boy was sitting in between his legs with an armful of snacks and drinks that were placed on the bed in arm’s reach. He let Liam maneuver him until his back was flush against Liam’s chest with the wolf’s arms holding him tightly. Liam raised his knees to keep Theo cradled there. In turn, Theo placed one hand over the hand resting on his stomach and laced their fingers together. 

And that was how they spent the rest of the day. Cuddled together watching whatever caught their attention and trading slow, sweet kisses. Liam felt peace flow through their connection and focused on sending as much love as he could to him. And that night when Theo crashed there, he held him tightly willing away any nightmares that might have tried to appear. It was only a small fraction of the good that Theo deserved but for right now, it was enough. 

* * *

Liam wished that he could say that things got better after that. In some ways it did. Theo was happier. He still had his bad days but a week after Hayden popped back up in town, his smiles were back almost all the time. It was enough. It got even better when he announced that he wanted to have the pack over at his place for a pack night that he would be cooking for. It had been months since Theo cooked for anything other than necessity. Liam was looking forward to his boyfriend’s cooking. And then the proverbial other shoe was dropped. And it was a hell of a shoe. 

“You invited Hayden?!” Liam bravely managed to not yell as he carried ingredients to the counter. Theo banned him from even looking in the general direction of a stove but he could be trusted to grab ingredients and even chop on occasion. 

“I only did it because Theo asked me too,” Mason retorted. “Trust me, I don’t want that crazy she-wolf around any more than the rest of you. But Theo asked. And seriously did Scott teach you and Alec how to get what you want using eyes only? Those things should be illegal!”

Theo glanced up with a hint of a smirk and a flash said eyes. Yeah, Scott was definitely teaching his brothers the art of puppy eyes and it wasn’t fair. And it also wasn’t fair that Liam had to deal with Hayden.

“Baby, why?!” Liam knew he was whining. He didn’t care. 

“Because she’s in this pack. And I’m not going to let her past differences with me drive her out of the pack,” Theo answered while rolling out the dough for what Liam sincerely hoped would end up being cookies. He seriously loved when Theo made anything but his cookies were the top of the list. Liam opened his mouth to protest what his genius cookie making boyfriend was saying but Corey shook his head. 

“Trust me, the conversation has been had. Theo is thoroughly convinced that all Hayden needs to do is experience some good old fashioned quality time with her pack and all the crazy Liam obsessed behavior will fade away.” Theo glared at his fellow chimera but Corey just stared back unapologetically. Liam was privately amused. Corey always displayed an insane protective streak when it came to the people he loved (Mason and Theo in that order) but it was ramped up to a thousand these days. “All I’m saying is that I’m locking up Fiji and Bobo tonight. I don’t want her breaking in during the middle of the night and trying to boil either one of them.”

“She might get Bobo. Dumb dog loves everyone. But good luck with Fiji. That cat only likes Theo and Mom. She will literally wreck anyone else who comes near her. Hayden doesn’t stand a chance,” Alec chimed in. “Speaking of Fiji, we are absolutely certain she’s not some kind of witch or supernatural creature that got stuck in cat form, right?”

“Deaton said he’s running more tests,” Mason replied, grinning as said cat slinked into the kitchen. She glared at them all imperiously before hopping up on the window perch that would best allow her to observe her human as he cooked. Theo tilted his head back to acknowledge his cat, smiling as she stretched a paw forward to tap him on the nose. He laughed and blew a kiss in her direction before continuing with his dinner prep. Fiji settled down again. 

They joked but Liam wasn’t entirely sure they Fiji wasn’t some kind of familiar that bonded with his boyfriend. The cat was remarkably attuned to Theo’s feelings and mood, sometimes even more so than Liam. He already promised himself that even if his plan A didn’t work out for school in the Fall (aka if Theo was stupid enough to reject it), he was bringing Fiji with them. It wouldn’t be too hard to get her registered as an emotional support animal. He hoped. Another thing to look into. 

At any rate, things shifted from talking about Hayden to the feral pack members showing up looking for food very quickly. Seriously everyone in this pack had a home. Why did they always act like they were starving whenever food came around? Then again, Theo’s cooking was worth fighting for. 

“Seriously, kiddo, have you thought about anything other than being a doctor?” Melissa asked later that evening after they were all fed and relaxed. They were sprawled around the living room in various spots. Theo was tucked into Melissa’s side with Alec on his free side. Melissa was holding onto Theo, letting the chimera rest against her happily. Liam knew that she was at her happiest when she had all three of her sons nearby. Especially when they came so close to losing one. “I swear you get better every time you cook.”

“I didn’t do it alone,” Theo said, shyly. “The others helped out with the food too.” 

“Oh, really?” Chris drawled from the table where he, Derek, Nolan, Stiles, and Peter were playing a scarily aggressive game of Uno. Jordan was involved for a while but after getting his ass kicked several times, he retreated to the corner that Malia, Kira, and Lydia claimed as their own. He was currently moping on his girlfriend’s lap about the unfairness of this pack and their violent proclivities. Liam just thought he should be happy that Brett and Lori weren’t there. They took Uno very seriously. 

“Yeah, really,” Alec countered. “We helped!” 

Corey snorted. “And by helped he means we did nothing of any significant value. Alec was allowed to chop some things while Mason and Liam were strictly on hand stuff to Theo while he was cooking duty. I had the pleasure of hiding the food because this pack acts as they’ve never seen food before.” 

“Okay. So we didn’t help much!” Alec corrected, sticking his tongue out at Corey. “But I still did more than Liam did. All he did was stand there and stare at his boyfriend with disgusting heart eyes like he doesn’t see him every single day.”

Liam gestured towards the thoroughly embarrassed Theo. “Have you seen him?! He’s gorgeous! It would be a crime to not gawk at him! Why would I not want to look at him all the time? How could I not?!”

“You’re not so bad yourself, babe,” Theo returned, a hint of his old sass present in his quiet voice. A ghost of his usual smirk played on his lips. 

“Not so bad?! I am the love of your life!”

Theo looked over at him with a more genuine softer smile growing. “Yeah, you are.” 

Liam smiled back. “And you’re mine.”

“Good.”

“Gay!”

Liam rolled his eyes. “Seriously, Mason?!”

“What? I can say that. I’m actually gay.” 

“What kind of logic is that?” Scott scoffed before leaning forward to nudge Theo with his foot. “Seriously, good job with the food. As always.”

“Are we sure it’s not poisoned?” Hayden’s no doubt meant to be quiet snide whisper cut through the room. Liam felt himself growling in response. It was echoed by Isaac, Malia, and Alec. Lydia stopped petting Jordan to glare at the younger girl. Parrish’s eyes were flickering between orange and green rapidly. 

Liam felt a stirring of hurt before the feeling was smothered down and replaced with a false of cheer. It felt wrong. He let his gaze drift over to Theo who, as he suspected, was giving Hayden the fake smile that he used to pretend he wasn’t hurting. Liam was really going to kill his ex before this was all over. He could already tell. That is if Alec didn’t get to her first. Or Malia or Lydia or Kira… there were a lot of crazy overprotective people in this pack. 

“Yeah, it’s totally poison free,” Theo said, false cheer sounding hollow in his words. “I’ve already killed one pack, I can’t afford to kill another and my parents.” 

Liam was glad he wasn’t the only one shooting Theo a concerned look. They all knew that he used self-deprecation as a way of coping with his stress. But they also knew that he wasn’t actually coping with anything. So this was concerning. What was also concerning was how Hayden somehow interpreted the furtive looks the pack exchanged as them being anything other than worried about Theo. Seriously, he didn’t remember her being this level of crazy before she left Beacon Hills. 

“You really think Mrs. McCall and Mr. Argent are your parents?!” Hayden asked, incredulously. “And this is your pack? I’m shocked they even let you near them much less in the house. Guess they’re really keeping a short leash on you.” 

“Enough!” Melissa’s voice cut through anything else Hayden might have to say. Liam glanced at his future mother-in-law (one day) and saw that she was on her feet, standing in front of Theo. 

Liam learned early in his time with the pack that Melissa McCall was a wonderful mother to the whole pack but she was straight savage when it came to Scott and Stiles. She raised them both to a certain extent and she would destroy someone in their defense. That has now extended to Alec and Theo, especially Theo. 

“I’m fully aware of the things Theo has done. But I also know he has done more than his fair share to work on getting better. So I’m not going to stand here and let you badmouth my kid. And he is my kid. I got the paperwork to prove it. Not that I need to prove a damn thing to you.”

“And Theo is part of the pack,” Lydia spoke up. Though her face was blank, her eyes were sharp. “And he was pack before he started dating Liam. We like him for him and not just because he’s dating Liam.”

“Unlike certain people in this room,” Malia added. Hayden flushed several shades of red. Liam shrugged. He told her this would happen. But it seemed like she still hadn’t got the message and she dropped her fork dramatically. 

“Okay. Seriously, what the hell is going on? We’re really sitting here talking about Theo?! He murdered people. He murdered Josh and Tracey! He tortured those people who pretended to be his parents. He probably killed his real parents. He killed Scott!” Hayden yelled. Liam saw Theo flinch when Melissa twitched but didn’t move away from her protective stance. “We’re really playing happy family with the sociopath? Does he have something over us?”

“There is no us when it comes to you,” Malia growled. “You left. You ran off to keep your sister safe and now you’re back with tail between your legs ranting about shit you can’t even begin to understand. Theo is pack. He belongs in a way you never did. And I ask you to remember that or we’ll show you who the real killers in the McCall Pack are.”

Her eyes flashed blue as did Derek and Peter. Jordan and Kira added their silent support. Not for the first time, Liam was reminder that as goofy and fun as his pack could be, they were dangerous. For all the damage and chaos Theo wreaked when he was at his most dangerous, he still paled in comparison to some other members of this pack. 

Hayden rose to her feet and took a shaky step back. But Liam could see the fierce determination in her eyes. That fierceness used to be attractive once upon a time. But now he just wanted her to sit down and shut up. Ideally, she would just leave. But she was too damn stubborn for her own good. And she genuinely believed she was in the right. 

“Look, Hayden,” Theo said, also standing up and moving around Melissa. “I get that this is a lot but I’m not trying to take your place in the pack. There’s enough room for both of us. It’s not like there aren’t like a hundred people in this pack as it is.” 

“No!” Hayden argued. “I refuse to be in a pack with you. You’re a monster.”

“Wait, are you seriously asking us to pick between you and Theo?” Mason asked, incredulity oozing from his voice. “That’s what you’re actually suggesting?”

“Because we had that answer before you even sat down,” Lydia chimed in. Kira and Malia nodded. 

“I refuse to justify this stupidity with a response,” Peter drawled, closing his eyes in the most dismissive way he could while sprawled in a folding chair. 

“Theo made cookies. You know the chocolate ones that taste like he put crack in them,” Alec said as if this made sense to the conversation. “You all have had his chocolate cookies. You know how it good it is. I would literally punch some of you for those cookies. Why are we talking to Liam’s crazy ex when there are chocolate cookies?!”

“Al, to be fair you would punch some of us because the sun came up,” Scott retorted, with a fond smile. “But you do have a point for once.”

“Wait, what do you mean for once?!”

“Okay, seriously?!” Hayden’s voice broke through the brief moment of levity. “The cutesy banter? Why aren’t any of you saying how you really feel?”

“What about any of our chemosignals or heartbeats leads you to believe that we’re not saying the absolute truth, Hayden?” Derek asked. “Surely even you can read those accurately.” 

“Scott,” Hayden whirled around facing their alpha. “You were so mad when Liam brought him back. Malia, you tried to kill him. How can all of that change so fast? He’s playing house now but it’s Theo! He’s always got something up his sleeve. He’s a monster. Why am I the only one who can say it?!”

Liam felt himself growling and was happy to note that he wasn’t the only one. Fortunately, Hayden seemed to clue in that this was all about her this time. She closed her mouth and took a shaky step backward. There was a silent standoff as they all contemplated who would be the first one to speak. 

“Get the hell out of my house,” Melissa said, finally. Her voice was tense and Liam knew she was itching for her taser. “I can’t kick you out the pack but I sure as hell can kick you out of my house. Get out and don’t come back until you can accept that Theo has changed. You have too but definitely not in a good way.”

“But…”

“But nothing,” Scott interjected, cutting Hayden off. “You heard my mother. Leave. Now. We’ll be in touch to discuss your future as a member of this pack.”

Hayden’s eyes welled with tears as she looked to each pack member and found them all unsympathetic. Liam crosses his arms over his chest when her gaze landed on him. If she really thought he was going to side with her after everything then she truly was delusional. 

Thankfully, she wasn’t delusional enough to linger any longer. She left at last and they all let out a sigh in relief. There really was going to have to be a long talk about her future in the pack because based on her behavior tonight, it just wasn’t meant to be. He got that there was bad blood between her and Theo but the way she came at him… he knew his emotions were running high because he was in hyper-protective mode. But also she was being totally irrational and unreasonable. But she was gone. And now they could try and salvage the night. Starting with making sure Theo was okay. Except…

“Where’s Theo?!”

There was a moment of loud panicked flailing that none of them would admit to later before Mason calmly (too calmly) noted that Corey was missing too. It made sense. None of them noticed Theo walking out the room and there was someone only slightly less protective of the chimera than Liam who also had the added bonus of going invisible. Of course. 

Liam followed Melissa and Scott up the stairs with Chris, Alec, and Isaac close behind. He didn’t need to look to know that Stiles, Lydia, and Malia wouldn’t be far behind them. 

“We are the only ones who respect boundaries around here,” Mason said to the remaining pack members still in the living room. There was a pause and the human sighed. “You’re all listening, aren’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“Pretty much.” 

“Obviously.”

* * *

It took almost a year of therapy, followed by an unfortunate two week stay in the psych ward at Beacon General for Theo to accept that though he has made mistakes in the past, he is well on his way to move past those mistakes. Some would say that he has moved past them and that he deserves the happiness and love people keep throwing at him. He doesn’t know if he agrees with all that but… he’s trying. 

At any rate, he knows that death isn’t the answer. It wasn’t a well thought out plan at the time. He was in no rush to see Tara again. He honestly didn’t want to die at all. But he was just so tired and so sad and tired of being sad. He doesn’t want to die though. He’s finally at a place in his life where he’s close to being happy. He has family and friends. He has reasons to live. He also never wants to see that look on his loved ones’ faces again. 

The look of terror mixed with relief and anger and love. It was written on the faces of every single member of his assorted friends and family that could fit in his tiny hospital cubicle. He didn’t know if he deserved to live after everything he’s done but he did know he never wanted to see his adopted parents cry like that again. Marin told him that while it wasn’t ideal, it did help if he thought about it in those terms. He didn’t know if his life was worth living but the people he loved thought it was. So he could work on living for them and over time, work on living for him. 

With that mindset, he tried to focus on getting better. It was a struggle but he genuinely felt stronger than he had in a very long time. And then Hayden came back and sent it all crashing down. He will always be grateful that Scott was still there that afternoon. If he had left as he wanted, well he really didn’t want to think about what would’ve happened. He was just glad nothing did. 

The point is that he was trying to heal. Trying to see himself the way that everyone in the pack did. And then Hayden came back, saying all the things he still thought about himself and it hurt. Because this was Hayden! She was the love of Liam’s life. The only reason he picked Theo was that Hayden left. But then she came back. She came back and she was saying the things he knew were true that everyone else said wasn’t true. And it was all so confusing and he just couldn’t…

“Breathe,” Corey’s voice broke through the fog in his head. He felt Corey’s hand rest between his shoulder as the younger chimera settled beside him. “It’s all going to be okay, Theo. But you need to breathe.” 

They sat like that for a few quiet moments, both ignoring the bickering still going on downstairs and focusing on the slowly calming breaths Theo was taking. 

“You okay now?” 

“Yeah,” Theo answered, his voice sounding hoarse even to him. He looked up at his best friend. “I’m not mad at her.” 

“That’s great. I am.” 

“No, you’re….” Theo trailed off, picking up the chameleon’s body language and chemosignals. “Wait, you are? Why are you mad?”

“Why?! Dude, are you serious? After everything we’ve been through, you’re really asking me why I’m mad Liam’s bitch of an ex just spouted off about stuff she has no place even thinking about?”

“It was all true.”

“Maybe two or three years ago,” Corey conceded. “But none of that is true now. Everything has changed and you’re still the only one that doesn’t see it. Well aside from Hayden. But screw her. She had no right bringing any of that up.”

“I wouldn’t blame them,” Theo said, his voice muffled as his face was buried on his raised knees. “I wouldn’t blame them if they listened to her.”

“Theo, why…”

“She’s Scott’s second bitten beta. That’s huge. I’m not even a real werewolf. I’m a science experiment gone horribly wrong. She’s his actual beta.”

“Alright, I’m blaming garbage brain for that one,” Corey chided. “But back to the original point. No one is kicking you out of the pack. Ever. It’s just not happening. Ever. But even if everyone lost their collective minds and were replaced by aliens, you wouldn’t be alone.” 

“What?”

“You heard me. If somehow you did end up kicked out of the pack, you wouldn’t be alone. I’ll be right there with you.”

“What?!” Theo asked, lifting his head to stare at the other chimera. “Why?!”

“Because, you big dumb gorgeous idiot, you’re my best friend! Despite everything that went down with the chimera pack, I’m still grateful to you. You brought me back. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have any of this. I wouldn’t have Mason.” 

“Oh.” 

Corey snorted. “Yeah, oh. It’s a good thing you’re pretty.” Theo rolled his eyes but sat up slightly. “If for some reason, you have to leave the pack I need you to know that you’re not going alone. I’ll be right there with you.”

“What about Mason?”

“I’d like to think he would be with us but even if he wasn’t, my statement stands true. You’re not alone anymore. And despite what garbage brain tells you, you won’t be anytime in the foreseeable future.”

Theo sniffled. “That’s… a lot. But thank you.” 

“Don’t thank me, dork. I’m your best friend. That’s literally in my job description. And also it’s not anything we ever have to worry about because the pack would never let you go. Hayden isn’t going to change their minds. Especially since no one wanted her here tonight in the first place.”

“But she…”

“But she nothing,” Corey cut him off. “Hayden knew the old Theo. But that Theo died when the pack sent him to hell. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know post hell Theo and he’s pretty great. He’s all the good parts of pre hell Theo with this extra layer of soft and dorky. Hayden doesn’t know that other side of you. She doesn’t want to believe it’s real. And that’s her loss.”

“And our gain,” Melissa finished as she, Liam and Scott stepped into Theo’s room. He could hear Chris and Alec not too far behind. Theo met her gaze and felt his eyes watering in response to the tears he found there. “Hey, baby.” 

“Hi, mom,” he whispered in return. 

That was all the cue needed for Melissa to come charging towards the bed and pulling him in for a tight hug. Theo melted against her. After everything he did (that Hayden helpfully brought up again) the fact that this woman still wanted him around was mind-blowing. That she could possibly ever love him. 

Melissa pulled away, cupping his face between her hands. “Of course, I love you. What did we say that day in the hospital? The first time?”

“We’re working on the future,” he answered. Melissa nodded. 

“Exactly. The future. We’re not looking back on our mistakes. And there were a few on all ends. Not just you. I think we’ve made some excellent progress. Don’t you?” 

“Yeah. At least I think so.”

“We will accept that answer,” Melissa said, idly wiping Theo’s tears away with her thumbs. “You are my kid, Theo. You have been since the first time I saw you in the hospital holding Scott’s hand because he was scared and missing Stiles. We had a long and dark path to come back together. But we are. We’re here. And you belong here with me.”

“With us,” Scott echoed. 

Chris and Alec chimed in and there was a chorus of agreement from slightly down the stairs and down in the living room. A beat later Mason threw in his own version of affection before ranting about supernatural hearing. Corey butted his shoulder against Theo’s in his silent version of support before going downstairs to handle Mason. 

Liam snorted when Theo’s gaze landed on him. The wolf was leaning against the doorframe with a soft smile on his lips. “Don’t look at me like that. You already know my feelings. We’re together forever as far as I’m concerned.”

Theo nodded. Despite his confusion about everything in his life these days, he knew that Liam loved him. He knew that Liam wanted him. He didn’t always understand it but he knew it was true. Melissa pressed a kiss to his forehead before motioning for the others to clear out. Liam nodded as they left, closing the door behind them. Theo watched as Liam took Corey’s abandoned spot but kept a small distance between them. 

Before he could even begin to panic, Liam reached for Theo’s hand and tangled their fingers together. He squeezed lightly and kept an easy grip there. Theo looked up from their joined hands to find that Liam was watching him with the same fond expression he has been wearing since the war ended. 

“Serious talk time?”

“Yup,” Liam confirmed. “I love you.” 

“I know. I love you too.” 

“Then I need you to talk to me, T. This relationship can’t work if you don’t talk to me. Unless you’re honest with me.”

“I haven’t…”

“You wanted to go to Davis, didn’t you? You wanted to go where Scott and Mason were.” 

Theo let out a shaky breath. He should’ve figured Liam would piece it all together eventually. Of course, he wanted to go to Davis. Scott was there. Mason was there. Corey would be there as a result, even though he was taking online classes until he could get his grades up and transfer. But Liam was so in love with Harrison and its history program. He even got a scholarship for lacrosse. Theo’s grades pretty much guaranteed him a free ride wherever he wanted, Harrison included. So it seemed so simple at the time. But he realized now that it was a mistake. 

“Harrison had the better history program.”

“Theo, your mental health and security mean more to me than a damn history department. I want to teach. I can learn that just as well at Davis. You should’ve told me that you wanted Davis.”

“I should have,” Theo admitted, looking at him through his lashes. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too. I should’ve thought about it more. I know you. I know how that brain of yours works. But it’s okay because I learn from my mistakes.”

“Since when?” Theo asked, teasingly. Liam’s eyes widened before a brilliant smile spread across his face. He leaned in and kissed Theo. 

“I love you. I love you so much. I know you don’t get how amazing you are and I hope that one day you will. But Theo, you help me so much. Every single day,” Liam said, words tumbling out as he stroked the soft skin of Theo’s cheeks. “And that is why today, I’m here to help you.”

“Help… me?”

“Yes, you,” Liam grinned before pressing a kiss to the tip of Theo’s nose. 

“But you already do,” Theo said, confusion wrinkling his brow absently. Liam laughed. 

“I know, babe. But this is a little bit different. I need you to hear me out. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Great. So with the help of your mom, I put in some paperwork for us while you were in the hospital. If you still want to, and I think you do, we’ll be transferring to Davis next semester.”

Theo hated the way his heart ticked up in excitement. He didn’t want to react but he was reacting because this was what he wanted. He wanted to go to Davis. He wanted that so much. But…

“How are we affording this? Harrison gave us scholarships. I don’t want to….”

Liam placed a finger on his lips. “I’m going to cut you off right there. Because I feel like you were going to say the word burden. And I hate when you feel that way. You have never been and will never be a burden. It makes me want to track your parents down and kick their asses for making you ever think that way. Then the Surgeon and the Pathologist for further solidifying that concept. And finally, the pack of the past because I know we didn’t help.”

Theo blinked. He noticed that Liam didn’t say all three Dread Doctors. He left the Geneticist out. That, among so many things, showed just how much Liam really cared and listened to Theo. The Dread Doctors were awful and made his life a living hell. But the Geneticist made it slightly less hellish. She was the one that forced him to hold onto the shred of humanity he had left. He didn’t know what he would be if it wasn’t for her. 

Liam moved his hand away from Theo’s lips to gently cup his cheek. “You with me?” 

Theo hummed in assent, learning into Liam’s touch. The younger wolf smiled softly. 

“As I was saying. Your mom helped a lot in terms of helping with your end of the paperwork. But the bottom line is that Davis still really wanted you. They’re still willing to offer a full scholarship. I’m getting a partial scholarship and my parents and I can definitely afford the difference. And we have an apartment already waiting for us that I’m told is cat-friendly paid for by Peter Hale.”

“Mom has got to stop using Peter to pay for stuff,” Theo said, only slightly exasperated. 

“Oh, that wasn’t your mom’s idea. That was Peter. We were on our way to pick you up that last day when Peter showed up and threw me like a bag full of keys and handed me an envelope with the apartment address and a lease. We have roommates. I hope you don’t mind.” 

“Roommates?”

“Yeah, another couple. You might have met them. They might be even more ridiculously sappy than us.”

“Corey and Mason?” Theo’s heart betrayed him once again and this time Liam definitely noticed and reacted. His smile grew wider. “We’re going to be living with them?”

“Yup,” Liam answered. 

“And I get to bring Fiji?” Theo asked, his eyes naturally landing on his cat that was seated at the foot of his bed. 

“Yeah. Alec is going to have to learn to entertain his own dog this year because Fiji won’t be here to help. Oh, wait there is one thing you need to know.”

“What?” 

“The apartment has four bedroom. Obviously, we will only be needing two of those four rooms. One is being used as a guest bedroom for when our parents or other pack members want to visit. The other is currently being fought over by your ridiculous older brother and Brett.” 

“Scott? Wait, why is it that when he’s peak Scott, he’s my ridiculous older brother and not your alpha?” Theo asked, arching an eyebrow. Liam stared at him blankly. “Okay, right. But anyway, Scott and Isaac have an apartment at school and Brett said he was too good for college.”

“Yeah, but he’s not too good to squat in our apartment for free. And Scott, your brother, claims that our apartment which is literally in the same building is nicer than the studio they have. So you’re going to have to deal with seeing him a lot more.” 

Theo gave up trying to hide how he felt. He was excited and hopeful. And so in love with the boy in front of him. Because he (and his amazing mother who was definitely getting a cake by the end of this week) did this for him. Liam did all this for Theo. 

“And you’re okay with this?” Theo asked. “Harrison had the history department and…” 

“And yeah it was great but not worth losing you,” Liam assured him. His heartbeat steady. “Living together and going to school together is a huge thing. And yes, a lot of compromises need to be made. But your health? That’s not something to compromise. I should’ve thought about that. But I didn’t. And I almost you. You almost died, Theo. And I can’t…”

Theo felt his heartbreak at the crack in Liam’s voice. He scrambled to move closer to him. Theo took Liam’s hand and placed it over his chest. 

“I’m not gone. I’m still here.” 

“But you almost weren’t. Because I wasn’t paying attention. Because I didn’t notice you weren’t okay. I can’t do that again.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Theo murmured. “What happened wasn’t your fault.”

“No, it wasn’t. But I didn’t help,” Liam answered, his voice firm. “Mistakes were made all around. You should’ve told me that you wanted Davis. You should’ve talked to me or your parents or your brothers or Corey. But I also should’ve seen you. I’m so used to you pulling me out of my episodes that I forgot this whole anchor thing works both ways. And we both screwed up in thinking that we have to do it alone. We have a pack. We have a crazy, wonderful pack that wants to be there when we can’t be there for each other.”

Theo smiled even though he felt tears welling in his eyes. It was true. It was all… he remembered the crushing darkness he felt that night. The isolation playing with his already frayed emotions. When they were at Harrison, there would be days when they didn’t see each other at all. It wasn’t odd if they didn’t even sleep together because of Liam’s lacrosse schedule and Theo’s late nights in the lab. They were both miserable. And Theo sank back into the same mindset that had him sleeping in a truck in the woods.

Liam was right. Mistakes were made their freshman year but they were going to get it right this time. He wasn’t going to do his usual thing where he protested and tried to find some way around this. Because this was the best for both of them. Liam needed this change just as much as he did. 

“Okay,” Theo whispered, leaning his head against Liam’s. “I like the plan.”

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah,” Theo nodded, feeling the tears he had been holding back come flooding to the surface. “I don’t know why I’m crying.” 

“Because you feel things. And that’s okay. It’s okay to feel, Theo. It’s okay to cry. Because I’m here.”

“I love you,” Theo choked out, even as he was guided to Liam’s shoulder. 

He tucked his face into the crook of Liam’s neck, smelling the familiar scents of his boyfriend before letting go, trusting Liam to hold him together. He let go of all the pain he had been holding onto from that night and even the darkness he wouldn’t let go of from before. He knew that he wasn’t going to be fixed just by switching colleges and living with his friends. But it was a start. It was a start to him being healthier and happier. It was a start that he earned… that he deserved. 

“You do, baby. You deserve it all. I love you too, Theo. I love you so damn much.” 

Theo managed a wan smile through his tears as he clung to Liam. His boyfriend was holding him just as tightly so he wasn’t worried about anything. Well, he wasn’t worried about anything until he felt a strong pair of hands literally pulling him away and into a familiar embrace. He only panicked for a moment before smelling the scent of alpha and family. 

“Scott, Alec… what are you doing?” Liam asked, sounding like he knew exactly what was going to happen. Theo knew too and internally rolled his eyes. How long was Scott holding on to this one? 

“You were supposed to talk to him and make him feel better. You weren’t supposed to break him and make him cry!” Scott retorted with all the sassy petulance that made him Scott. 

Theo snorted even as his sobs turned into giggles. Because how could he not? His brother was ridiculous. This pack was ridiculous. And he loved them all. He loved them so much. 

“Oh my god, you really did break him!” Alec deadpanned. He sighed, squeezing Theo’s shoulder briefly, before leaving the room. 

And then Theo was moving too. Scott was taking advantage of Liam’s surprise to propel them both through the door and back downstairs where the rest of their friends and family were still waiting. 

“Scott! Bring my boyfriend back!”

Theo laughed again even as he was transferred from Scott’s arms to their mother’s who squeezed him in between her and Chris. His parents didn’t hesitate to pull him into their tight embrace. Alec arched an eyebrow and wiggled his way into the tangled limbs. 

No, Theo wasn’t healed. But as he sat surrounded by the love of everyone in the room, Theo had to admit to himself that he was starting to believe. It was time to stop punishing himself for the sins of his past. He was allowed to be happy. He was allowed to love these people and be loved by them in return. All he had to do was finally give in and just trust that the pack would catch him if he fell. And so he did. 


	2. What Else Could I Do?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Theo gives healing a try, Alec would murder for a chocolate bar and Hayden gets another shot at redemption.... she's bound to get it right eventually!

Liam was happy to say that things got so much better in the week after the almost disaster of a pack meeting. The news that they wouldn’t be going back to Harrison in the fall and would instead be with the rest of their friends seemed to lighten some of the burdens Theo was carrying around. He was looking healthier and happier again. 

The real confirmation they had that Theo was well on his way to healing was when Alec made some offhand smartass comment about his brother. It was nothing too egregious and pretty much what they were used to before. But that was before and it was an unspoken rule that they didn’t tease Theo now. But Alec absently broke that rule by making some comment. 

Liam wished he could remember exactly what it was that Alec said but he couldn’t. All he remembered was Scott opening his mouth to no doubt admonish Alec a second before they heard Theo growl in mock offense. His eyes flashed blue and that was the only warning Alec had before his brother launched across the table they were sitting at to tackle him to the floor. 

Theo gave him the usual brotherly roughhousing treatment before climbing to his feet, walking back to his chair and resuming his conversation with a stunned Corey like nothing ever happened. It was such a Theo move that everyone was on him in a heartbeat hugging him tightly. It was then that Liam knew his boyfriend was going to be okay. 

And then a wild Hayden appeared. Again. 

The day was going great otherwise. Liam was with his favorite people in the world: Theo, Mason, and Corey. The four boys were excited to start planning for their apartment even though they were still months away from moving in. And in a rare turn of events, it was only the four boys. Brett and Lori were still visiting former friends of Satomi. Nolan was roped into going to his homophobic grandmother’s church event and had an all too willing Kira, Malia, Stiles, and Derek going with him in order to scandalize the masses. Lydia and Parrish were “elsewhere”. And Alec cheerfully announced that he was done fifth wheeling when he could third wheel so much more effectively. Scott and Isaac were probably really regretting not tagging along with Nolan and the others by now. 

Liam, on the other hand, was absolutely delighted that Alec was harassing someone else for a change and was happily sprawled on top of his boyfriend, soaking up the sun and enjoying not having to share said boyfriend’s attention with anyone else. Well, anyone other then Corey or Mason but they were often distracted enough by each other that it wasn’t a total bother. 

Lying in the park on his Theo blanket, Liam couldn’t help but wish that every day could be like that. That he could have a happy and healthy Theo all too willing to let Liam lie on top of him while they tagged team teased Corey and Mason over their surprisingly awful taste in decor. To say that they were both logical and in possession of common sense, some of their choices were particularly… odd. 

Mason was in the middle of telling them, loudly, just why a leopard print couch wouldn’t be the worst thing ever when Liam’s stomach growled in an even louder counterprotest. Theo snickered, his chest rumbling under Liam’s. 

“Hungry, Little Wolf?” Theo murmured, fondly. Liam grinned, pressing his lips against the chimera’s. “I’ll take that as a yes. You want to get off me so I can get the food?”

“No… wait, I mean yes but also no.”

“Well, that cleared that right up!”

“Shut up, Mason,” Liam stuck his tongue out at his best friend. “What I meant to say was that I’ll go. You’re comfortable.” 

“I would think you were too.”

“Very much so,” Liam assured him, rubbing his cheek. “And I want you to stay comfortable so I have a nice spot to come back to. So let me go. It’s not like I don’t know what you eat backward and forwards.” 

Theo’s lips twisted. “Are you… is this you babying me?”

“No,” Liam promised, kissing him again. “This is me pampering the man I love. So shut up and let me pamper you, man that I love.” 

Theo snorted. “Well, who could shoot down all that romance?” 

“Exactly!” Liam grinned, stealing another kiss and springing to his feet. He noticed Mason standing up as well. “Mase?”

“Like hell, I’m going to let you two show us up! I’m going to pamper Corey like there’s no tomorrow!”

Liam snorted even as Corey scooted across the small distance and flopped back on Theo who was still sprawled where Liam left him. The chameleon wiggled around finding a comfortable spot on Theo’s stomach. 

“Yes, you two go forth and find sustenance. I’ll keep Theo warm for you.” Corey paused just realizing how that sounded. Theo flushed a bright shade of red before pushing the stammering chimera away from him. Liam and Mason took as their cue to go. 

Liam spared the two friends a final glance as he and Mason made it to the edge of the park. He couldn’t quite catch what Corey whispered to Theo but the look of surprise and amused disgust that passed over Theo’s face just before he lunged for his best friend was another one he was saving for the memory banks. Their laughter rang in his ears as he and Mason finally left and ambled down the street to their favorite tacos place. 

“So… he’s okay, right?” Mason asked, hesitantly when they were far enough that even Theo couldn’t hear them. “With everything and… he’s okay?”

“Yeah,” Liam answered, finally feeling like that was the truth. “Marin hooked him up with a friend of hers near our school. So he can keep going to therapy. And there’s some kind of supernatural therapy group like an hour away from the apartment. Derek and Isaac both said they wanted to go too. So I think it’s going to be better.”

“Good. I know things weren’t so great. But it sounds like it’s going to be better for him.”

“Yeah.”

“And what about for you? How are things going with you?”

Liam stopped walking at what seemed like an abrupt question but Mason was likely leading them there the whole time. He ran a hand through his hair to buy time to gather his thoughts. Mason waited patiently, tapping something on his phone idly. 

“Things are fine,” Liam finally said.

“Are they? Because I know that when everything happened, we were all quick to be there for Theo. But I don’t know how much support we were for you.” 

“Theo needed the support more than I did.” 

“Maybe. Or maybe Theo has enough people behind him right now and I can support you?” Mason suggested, bumping his shoulder against Liam’s. “Don’t tell me you’re okay. I know you’re not. What happened at school… it was hard for both of you. But Theo has a lot of people to talk to. You’ve been shutting all of that out. And I’m worried, bro.”

Liam’s hand twitched and raked through his hair once again. It was true. He had put so much energy into making sure he didn’t get wrong this time. That he was there for Theo. That he fixed it. But now Theo was stable and Liam was the one teetering on the edge of a breakdown. And he didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t put it on Theo. The chimera had enough to worry about. But then who…

His circuitous thoughts came to an end as Mason chose that moment to wrap his arms around Liam and holding him tightly. Liam stood stiffly for just a moment before all the grief and fear came crashing down. He found himself finally letting go of the anxiety and dread that had been weighing him down since their first night in the hospital. 

He didn’t know how long he stood there crying into Mason’s shoulder while the druid in training simply held him but he did know it was long enough that the two chimeras were going to be incredibly suspicious about their absence. 

“No, they won’t,” Mason said out loud, confirming that Liam’s internal monologue was broken. Again. “First off, I already ordered our food. All we have to do is pick it up. You’re not the only one who knows Theo’s order backward and forwards. Second, it was sort of both of our ideas for me to talk to you anyway.” 

Liam snorted. Because of course, Theo was just as worried about Liam as Liam was about Theo. He probably figured that Liam wouldn’t want to open up to him because he would worry about overloading him but he knew that Liam wouldn’t be able to resist Mason. He never could. 

“You got a good one this time,” Mason admitted. “I swear if you told me two years ago I would be saying those words about Theo Raeken I would think you were going crazy. But now? You know he pulled me to the side once and told me that if I needed to talk about everything with the Beast and whatnot that he would be there. This was even before he moved in with Melissa and Chris.”

“Back when he thought we all hated him,” Liam whispered. He closed his eyes, chuckling softly. Yeah, that sounded exactly like Theo. He really was a Theodork. He was Liam’s Theodork. 

“He’s a really great guy. And I love him like another brother. You both mean everything to me, Liam. And I want you to remember your own words. You don’t have to deal with this on your own. There is a whole support system outside of Thiam.”

Liam rolled his eyes but nodded. It was something that he struggled with himself. His parents were amazing but he struggled with opening up to them about everything. Mason and Theo were perfect because they got it all. They were living it all. But he often worried about being a burden. Damn, he really did have a lot in common with his boyfriend. 

“Thanks, Mase.” 

“It’s what I’m here for. Now let’s get those tacos before Corey gives up on keeping Theo distracted.” 

Liam snorted but secretly agreed. No one did worrying like his boyfriend. It’s kind of a huge part of what made them work as a couple. 

They were on their way back from picking up food when Liam’s phone rang. He fished it out his pocket, half expecting it to be Theo. But instead, Corey’s name flashed across the screen. He didn’t want to panic right away. The younger chimera was just as dramatic as Theo sometimes and was probably calling to whine about the older chimera. 

“Hey, Core. We’re on our way back. What’s up?”

“ _ Hayden _ .”

Liam stopped short. “What about her?”

“ _ She’s back and she’s got Theo cornered. I literally don’t even know how. I was only in the bathroom for like a minute _ .”

“We’re on our way.”

“ _ You better hurry. I called Alec first _ ,” Corey casually admitted before hanging up. Liam blinked in Mason’s confused direction. 

“Uh, so Hayden is back. And apparently, Corey called Alec first.”

“Alec as in puberty is kicking his ass hard and making him hella violent as a result Alec? Alec as in said violence is usually directed at anything in opposition of his brothers Alec?”

“Yeah. The little face ripper in the making.”

“Ah.” Mason paused. “Is it bad that I’m kind of not in a rush to get back?”

“A little bit,” Liam admitted. “But I’m not really in a rush myself. It’s a beautiful day.” 

“It really is.” 

* * *

Theo Raeken wasn’t perfect. It was a well-known fact. He made a lot of mistakes in his nineteen years of existence but he also tried to right a lot of those mistakes. His past was just that. The past. Post Hell Theo was a loving son, brother, friend and boyfriend. And most importantly, he was Corey’s best friend. Corey cherished that. He never had a best friend growing up and when he found himself in the orbit of his former alpha, they naturally came together. 

It wasn’t easy. At first, Corey was skeptical and at times avoidant. And he knew that Theo took that to heart. But really it was about Corey. He was avoidant because… he was there. He was a willing pack member in the chimera pack. He wasn’t as blind as maybe Tracy or Josh but he also didn’t have one foot out the door like Hayden. Honestly, if it wasn’t for Mason needing him, Corey would probably have been right by Theo’s side when he was dragged into hell. 

That was another thing Corey struggled with in the early days when Theo was fresh out of Hell. He knew it wasn’t easy for him but he just felt so many conflicting emotions when it came to his fellow chimera that he found it easier to just stay away rather than engage. He felt anger over the deaths of Josh and Tracy. He felt remorse because he turned his back on Theo in the end as well. He felt relief that he wasn’t with Theo when he was dragged underground. 

But most of all he felt guilt. Because he didn’t stop them. He didn’t stand up for Theo. And when the others treated him like a punching bag when he first came back, Corey never said a word in his defense. And there wouldn’t be a day when he didn’t think about that and wonder why Theo even wanted to be a part of the pack murdered a confused and fucked up teenage boy without a thought. 

All of that was to say that Corey knew Theo. The real Theo. The one that was buried under all the scheming and manipulation. It was the one they all knew today. Just back then he was too hurt, too angry and too damn scared to be the man they all knew and loved now. It took time and a long conversation that neither of them wanted to remember before they could even look at each other. But they grew closer until they were best friends. They might not have known each other as long as Mason and Liam or Scott and Stiles but the shit they went through meant their friendship was forged in fire and tough as steel. Both of which Corey wished he had on hand at the moment looking at Hayden. 

It’s not that he didn’t understand but also… he didn’t understand. Hayden was part of the chimera pack just as much as Corey, Tracey, and Josh. She went along with them too until she fell in love and turned her back. Maybe that was the problem all along. She was never really in their pack. She wasn’t really one of them and that’s why she didn’t know the real Theo back then. Still, someone would have to be blind and dumb to not see it now. Or Hayden. They could also just be Hayden. 

“You ruined it!” Hayden was saying as Corey approached them. His eyes narrowed as he took in Theo’s hunched form. “You ruin everything. It was supposed to be me and Liam forever. But you came back and screwed it all up. Just like you always do.”

“Actually,” Corey drawled, dropping to the ground beside Theo. He pushed his shoulder against the older chimera. “I think you’ll find that you leaving is what ruined everything. For you anyway. If you ask me, Liam totally won this round.”

“You’re an idiot,” Theo muttered, a flush rising on the back of his neck but the tension there slowly drained away. 

“Sorry, it took me so long to get back. By the way, I called Liam but not before I called Alec. So you know… face ripping may occur.” Theo snorted. 

“Corey? How can you… you of all people should know how he really is. How are you on his side?!”

“Because I know who he really is,” Corey said but kept his eyes on Theo. “I was a part of the chimera pack even after you defected. And I hung around a lot more. I saw him with the Dread Doctors. I saw what they… I got it then and I get it now. I only sided with the McCall pack because Mason was in danger. And then…” he trailed off, shaking his head. “I wasn’t okay with that, I hope you know. I wasn’t okay with what they did… with Hell. I should’ve…”

“It’s okay,” Theo cut him off. “Corey, back then I was… I don’t know. But I was screwed up and I wasn’t going to stop. I couldn’t. And I’m sorry that you got hurt because of that. I’m sorry for Josh and Tracey… I’m just sorry.” 

“I know, dude,” Corey smiled softly. 

Corey sensed Hayden about to say something when suddenly there was a snarling, snapping teen wolf standing between her and his seated sibling. Theo was scrambling to his feet in the very next moment, stepping between Alec and a surprised Hayden. 

“Hey, simmer down!” Theo yelled, pushing Alec back slightly. “You need to calm down. I’m fine.”

“You don’t smell fine,” Alec hissed. 

“Yeah, well I’m extra not going to smell fine if you bite Hayden’s face off in the middle of the park. We just got people in this town to calm down when we’re around. We don’t need to make them start panicking all over again. It’s not worth it.” 

“You’re worth it,” Alec retorted, even as his human features returned. Theo rolled his eyes. 

“Yes, I know. I already got the speech from Mom, Dad, and Pack Dad. Also from Liam like every day, Mason, Corey, Brett, Lydia, Stiles, and even Derek once. And then he took it back. But it still counts,” Theo grinned. “I get it. I’m awesome.”

Alec tilted his head to the side before throwing a long-suffering look at Corey. “You know I can tell you’re lying, right? Werewolf.” Alec sighed. “But that’s fine. You’re not stupid. You’ll get it one day.”

“Remind me why I keep you around.”

Alec grinned. Hayden was long forgotten as the pair engaged in their favorite past time activity: bickering. Corey had to admit they made it an art form. Put the pair of them with Scott and it was an experience. Sometimes he forgot that they weren’t biologically related and didn’t grow up together. It was cute. Okay, it was at times super annoying but it was mostly cute. Like right now when it was pissing Hayden off. 

“You keep me around because we’re brothers. There is legal documentation to prove it too. So despite what Scott said, you can’t actually just toss me in a river. Because we have the same parents.” 

“Pretty sure Cain and Abel had the same parents and that didn’t stop him.”

“Did you just threaten to kill me biblically?!” Alec screeched, taking a step back. “That’s some cold shit, dude.” 

“Would it have been better if it was a straight-up death threat?” Theo asked, arching an eyebrow at his brother. 

“Knowing Alec, probably yeah,” Liam answered in place of Alec. The younger wolf tipped his head in acknowledgment. Liam smirked. “How did you get here so fast? We were literally ten minutes away but your house is like twenty minutes driving.” 

“I may have already been out?” Alec replied. Off the looks he was getting, he sighed. “Okay, so maybe I pissed off Scott and Isaac and I was already halfway here before Corey called to say that your hateful ex was back at it again.” 

Liam’s eyes narrowed as his gaze shifted to said hateful ex. Mason walked past them all, ignoring the scene in favor of laying out the food they picked up. It said a lot about the trust Alec had in Liam that his attention was divided by the food. Corey had to laugh. Somehow Mason and Liam brought back Alec’s preferred order too despite the pest not even being with them for the day. This pack was so entangled. 

“Hayden, what do you want? And how fast can we get this over with? I’m hungry and the kid over here gets super violent when he’s hangry. Which is like all the time. Note for the future, puberty is a bitch when it comes to male teenage wolves.” 

Hayden pursed her lips before a wicked smile formed there. Corey knew he wasn’t going to like whatever came out of her mouth. Still, even he wasn’t prepared for…“Just answer me one question. Do you still love me?” 

Corey found himself growling right along with Alec. Mason whirled around from the table to stare incredulously at their estranged pack mate. Theo was once again hunching in, somehow looking small even standing up. And Liam? He was rolling his eyes at his ex. Though the look softened significantly as he took Theo’s hand in his and placed a kiss there. 

“Hayden, I will always love you,” he started, moving on quickly as she smiled triumphantly. “I will always love you the same way I love Kira, Malia, Lori, and Lydia. It’s there but not as much as I love Corey, Mason and the parts of Alec and Brett that don’t make me want to murder them every day. And definitely nowhere near how much I love Theo. But you’re my friend and I’m always going to care. But I don’t want you like that anymore. I’m with Theo and honestly, I don’t think that’s ever going to change.”

“You said the same thing about me,” Hayden spat out, angrily. 

“Yeah, and I realize now I was wrong,” Liam shrugged. “I thought we were forever, Hayden. But you left. You left and stopped talking to me. You broke up with me. And it hurt. A lot. But one crisis later and I was over it. I thought a lot of wrong things back then. I thought I could kill for you but… obviously, I couldn’t. But there’s no limit to what I wouldn’t do for Theo.”

Corey couldn’t help but shudder. It was true. He thought Liam was devoted when it came to Hayden but his feelings towards Theo was on whole other level. It was a good thing that Theo had given up all his evil scheming and planning. With Liam on his side, he would be damn near unstoppable in whatever he chose to do. 

“I made you my anchor because I wanted you to be. I was literally standing with my claws over someone’s head listening to Theo babble about the proper way to pull off a murder when I realized that’s not how anchors work. I didn’t pick him but he was what I needed. He’s never shied away from me when I’m having an episode. But most importantly when I needed an anchor the most, he was there. He’s sacrificed himself for me so many times… and you? You couldn’t even stay in touch,” Liam continued. 

“So yeah I love you but I’m in love with Theodore Karl Argent. And I always will be.” Liam finished the promise with another kiss to the back of Theo’s hand. Predictably, his boyfriend was swooning. Corey snorted. Yeah, there’s no way anyone could be around them for more than ten minutes and not see how perfect they were for one another. They really were endgame material. “Any other questions, Hayden?”

“No,” Hayden answered, her voice a whisper compared to earlier. Corey almost felt bad. She was coming back to Beacon Hills thinking things had stayed the same. That she could fit in as she did before. But things had changed so much and she didn’t fit it all. Or, it was probably safer to say that she never really fit in at all to begin with.

Honestly, Lydia wasn’t wrong. Hayden never had a place in the pack outside of being Liam’s girlfriend. And now she wasn’t that anymore. So how, if at all, did she fit in the pack? Maybe she didn’t. But if Corey knew Liam and Scott, and he did, they were probably hoping she could find a way. It was never easy for an omega but it was doubly hard these days with hunters on the loose. 

“You guys ready to eat?” Mason called over. 

“Yeah, one last thing,” Liam replied. “Hayden, you have a choice. Either get your shit together and accept that Theo is an important part of this pack or you can be kicked out. It’s your choice.”

“You can’t kick me out! Scott is the Alpha.”

“Liam is an alpha,” Alec countered, his fangs appearing once again. “He’s the alpha of the puppy pack.”

“I knew you loved me!”

“Shut up!”

“Point still stands, Hayden. As Alec pointed out, I am the alpha of the younger members of this pack. And I don’t want you here if you’re making anyone feel uncomfortable or uneasy, especially if that someone is Theo. And if you think Scott is going to go easier on you, please remember that you’re constantly bashing one brother and the other still dreams of ripping your face off. And Scott actively supports and adores them both.”

Corey watched as Theo smiled softly. The dorky smile he got every time he remembered that he had a family now. It was Corey’s favorite look on Theo. Because it was a constant reminder that no matter how hot Theo was there was a giant, soft dork under all that muscle. 

“So what’s it going to be, Hayden?”

Hayden closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “You’re right. I’m sorry, Theo. I would like to start over.”

“Um, sure?” Theo replied, brow furrowed. 

“She knows we all know she’s lying, right?” Alec asked, his head cocked to the side. 

“Yeah. Just take the win and eat your burrito,” Mason answered, shoving said burrito in his hand. 

“But…”

“Take the win, brat,” Theo said, pushing his brother towards the table. “Just take the win.”

“Okay, but for the record, I still hate her!”

“That’s acceptable.”

Alec seemed to be able to at least tolerate that Hayden would be around and settled down after that. He sat between Liam and Theo because he would never turn down an opportunity to be a brat and ate his burrito. Corey watched him occasionally pause to glare at the girl until Theo would catch him and elbow him. Hayden for her part kept quiet, observing the boys with a blank look on her face. Corey didn’t bother to question it any further because a blank Hayden was a quiet one. 

It was pretty peaceful all things considered. That is until Theo’s phone rang. Corey saw Brett’s name flash across the screen before the older chimera picked up with a smirk that quickly died at whatever he was hearing on the other line. 

“Dude, dude, slow down. I’m going to put you on speaker. Tell us what happened.” 

Theo set the phone down in the center of the picnic table. They learned forward listening to Brett take a few deep breaths. Whatever happened rattled Brett. And that was a terrifying idea.

“You’re on. What’s happening?”

“ _So you know how Lori and I got the call from one of Satomi’s old friends? We got here and half the pack was dead._ ” 

“What?!”

“ _Hunters_ ,” Brett growled. Corey could just imagine his eyes flashing in response. “ _We tracked some of them down but they’re already on the move._ ”

“Where are they headed?” Liam asked, dread filling his voice.

“ _Beacon Hills. And guys… it’s a lot of them. And somehow they have some kind of synthetic version of yellow wolfsbane that is just as effective as the natural kind. Trust me._ ”

“Wait, are you okay?” Theo asked, leaning forward as if he could reach the born wolf through the phone. “Is Lori okay?”

“ _I’m healing. As for Lori… she will be_ ,” Brett sighed. And that was what shook him. Alec opened his mouth to say something but closed it. A low distressed whimper escaped instead, prompting Theo to wrap an arm around his little brother’s shoulders. “ _Hey, Al. She’s okay, I promise. Andres is taking good care of her. She said she that she’ll be back and ready to kick your ass at laser tag in no time._ ”

Alec sniffled but nodded. He took a moment to compose himself before sitting up straight, never breaking away from Theo. 

“Laser tag is going to have to wait though. If the hunters are coming here then I think we need to prepare.”

“Brett, how long do you think we have?”

“ _A couple of days at best. They had a headstart on us. I’m sorry, guys._ ” 

“It’s okay. Do you still need any help up there?” Liam asked, slipping into secondary Alpha mode now that the original shock was wearing off. 

“ _Um…_ ”

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Liam rolled his eyes. “I’ll call you back as soon as I meet with the rest of the pack. Take care of yourself, Talbot.”

“ _Will do, Dumbar._ ” 

Once Brett hung up, the stunned Puppy Pack sat in silence. Hayden looked uncomfortable, like she wanted to say something but couldn’t think of anything that wouldn’t get her yelled at. Corey was proud of her. She was finally learning. Good for her. 

Theo still had his arm wrapped around Alec but he managed to look over his brother’s head to meet Liam’s gaze. Corey had no idea what was said between them in their silent conversation but it was enough to put a small smile on Liam’s face and settle a little of the tension in the younger wolf. Theo smiled in return, resting his head against Alec’s. 

“Time to rally the troops!” Liam said, voice oozing false cheer. 

“So much for our nice, quiet uneventful summer,” Mason sighed. 

“We live in Beacon Hills, Mase. There’s no such thing as quiet and uneventful.”

“Yeah, but we can hope!”


	3. And I've got something I've been trying to let go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hunters converge and a plan is hatched. But when someone veers away from the plan, a life hangs in the balance and a lesson is learned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. It's been insane these past few weeks. Hope you enjoy!

Hunters really have a way of screwing things up. Following Brett’s announcement that hunters were coming, the pack scrambled to get ahead of them as best they could. Unfortunately, they weren’t as quick as they wanted to be and another pack that was allied with them was attacked. The Hales and Isaac went to help out while Nolan, Kira, and Malia went to help to Brett. Corey got the logic behind the move but it spread them out too thin. 

It also didn’t help that they were spread out even in town. Most of the pack that was left behind was at the hospital which was rumored to be hit the hardest. The police station was also a target but they weren’t as concerned. It was protected by armed officers and a hellhound. Even the hunters couldn’t be stupid enough to think it was the weaker target. But apparently…. They could be that freaking stupid. Because as Stiles pulled to a stop a short distance away from the police station, they found a much larger group waiting for them than previously expected. 

“Suddenly, I’m really regretting that we didn’t bring the face ripper,” Stiles murmured as he, Theo, Corey, and Hayden observed the larger than expected group with wide eyes. 

“What do we do?” Corey murmured, almost against his own will. He was fine when he believed that it was a handful of hunters. But this was more than a handful. And if his ears weren’t deceiving him, there were plenty more on the way. 

“Stiles, what do we do?” Theo whispered, looking to the slightly older teen. But the FBI agent shook his head. “What?”

“You come up with the plan.”

“But that’s…”

“Dude, we both know how your brain works. If anyone is going to figure out how to get us out of this situation without any casualties, it’s you,” Stiles said, giving him a pointed look at the casualties part. Theo gave a half-hearted smile at that. “Right now, I’m thinking about my dad. And I’m distracted. But you always know how to turn the background noise off. I can’t. You got this. And we trust you. Eh, Corey and I trust you.”

“Right,” Theo nodded, taking a deep breath. He then closed his eyes clearly listening to what was happening around them. 

Corey tried to reach out with his senses but unlike the other chimera, he was limited. Theo was truly an anomaly. His senses went beyond what the average chimera could do. Sometimes he heard things even the other werewolves in their pack couldn’t pick up. Judging by the frustrated look on Hayden’s face, that was the case at the moment. Finally, Theo opened his eyes. A worried frown tilted his lips. 

“They’re calling for more backup. They already made a move on the precinct before we even got here. Some officers are hurt but not too badly. Jordan managed to fry a couple of the hunters. They’re understandably not pleased,” Theo reported, dryly. 

“My dad?” 

“The Sheriff is fine. He’s barking orders inside and sounds more annoyed than anything else. And yeah, your sister is safe too, Hayden.” She blinked, surprised that Theo would mention her sister before settling back into the poorly veiled disgust she normally wore around Theo. Corey tried not to roll his eyes. 

“So what’s the plan?” Stiles asked, also seemingly restraining himself from acting on Hayden’s continued negativity towards Theo. 

“You and Corey go help your dad with the injured. Corey can go invisible if the hunters think you’re easy targets. Hayden, get in touch with Lydia or Mason. They’re the two most likely to actually be paying attention to their phones. I’m not even sure my brothers have their phones to be honest.  After that, meet up with Stiles and Corey. Hopefully, our backup arrives before theirs does.”

“And what will you be doing during all this,” Hayden asked, arching an eyebrow. 

Theo smirked, pulling his shirt over his head in the process, prompting Hayden to turn around with a loud squeal of disgust. “What I do best, my dear. Be the distraction.”

“You are damned distracting,” Corey winked, enjoying the flush that spread from Theo’s cheeks down his chest. His best friend rolled his eyes before throwing the discarded shirt at Corey and yanking his pants down. 

Corey and Stiles turned around to give him the idea of privacy. They shared a knowing look about Hayden who was standing with her hands clamped over her eyes as if to ward off even a glimpse at naked Theo. Corey snorted. She was so ridiculous. 

A sharp bark alerted them that Theo was gone and in his place was the large black wolf that represented his other side. Corey faced him with a grin as the wolf pushed Theo’s discarded clothes forward with a snuff. The chameleon picked up the clothes and scrubbed a hand over Theo’s head. 

“Be careful. I know they don’t know about you but they’re armed and on edge. Don’t get hurt. I’m not going to be the one to explain that to the face ripper and Liam. Not to mention your parents and Scott. So don’t die, asshole.” 

Theo snuffled, rubbing his cheek against Corey’s hand before taking off. Corey tried to keep track of him for as long as he could but soon he was gone. He swallowed the urge to follow his friend and instead trusted that he could take care of himself. 

“Since when could he do that?” Hayden’s voice dragged him back to the moment. 

“You knew he could full shift. He did it when we were a pack like all the time. He said it was the only way he felt safe enough to sleep. Which, valid, because the Dread Doctors were all sorts of weird and wrong. ”

“Wait, you knew?!” Stiles asked, dramatically gasping. Corey rolled his eyes while arching an eyebrow. Stiles shook his head.. “Damn chimera solidarity.”

“It’s not that. It’s just… his wolf looks different,” Hayden huffed, gesturing in the direction Theo ran off in. “He just didn’t look the same.”

Corey’s brow furrowed as he thought about what Hayden was saying. He was more familiar with the wolf side of Theo than other members of the pack, save for Malia. And now that he was actually thinking about it, there were some differences in the wolf from the chimera pack and now. An idea formed in the back of his mind. A thought that he just couldn’t fully form. Not yet anyway. At the moment, they had more pressing concerns. He would have to think about all that later. For now, they had a plan. 

They had to stick to Theo’s plan and hope that they made it out of this alive. But as Corey and Stiles hustled into the station, the chimera caught Hayden going in an entirely different direction and paying no mind to her phone. He bit his lip, hesitating on whether he should say something. He didn’t think she would be so dumb as to ignore Theo’s plan just to be spiteful. But he was learning that Hayden was really dumb in a lot of ways lately. He shook his head as Stiles called his name. He really just had to hope that she wasn’t that hateful. 

An hour later, Corey was realizing that yes, Hayden could actually be that hateful. Because the backup hunters had definitely arrived and there was no sign of their backup at all. So either things were far more dire at the hospital or… Hayden never made the phone call. He seriously hoped that wasn’t the case. But he was also a realist. 

“They’re talking about making a move soon,” Theo murmured from where he was pressed against a wall closest to a window. Corey really hated him being that close to where the guys with guns could easily shoot but he claimed it was better for him to hear everything. “Where the hell is our backup? Even Alec could’ve been spared at this point.” 

“I’m so telling him you said that,” Corey teased with a levity he didn’t feel. He saw Theo’s eyes roll in the darkness but more importantly, he was less tense and moving further into the room. “But seriously, where are they? Hayden, what did Lydia say when you spoke to her?” 

“I don’t know,” Hayden shrugged, sitting on a desk without a care in the world. “I didn’t talk to her.” 

“She didn’t answer? What about Mason?” 

“I didn’t speak to him either. I didn’t call.” 

“What?! Why not?!” 

“I had to check on my sister,” Hayden retorted, glaring at Theo. 

“Corey was doing that!” Theo hissed. 

“Corey, the same person who has happily sicced your and I quote ‘face ripping’ little brother on me without a care numerous times in the past few weeks? Yeah, like I was going to trust him.” 

“Yeah, I was going to set Alec loose on you. Not your sister. It’s not her fault, she helped raise a royal bitch,” Corey snapped back. Theo sighed. 

“That is not even remotely the point right now. Look, Hayden, you don’t have to like me. Or even be civil towards me. But this is different,” Theo explained, gesturing around the room. “If you want to be in this pack, then you need to be able to work with us. All of us. If Stiles and Corey trust me to run point, then you need to accept it or come up with a better plan. Now we’re stuck here with a shit ton of hunters and absolutely no backup. Your decision to spite me could end up costing people their lives. That’s on you. Not me.” 

Corey smiled a little despite the circumstances. A few months ago, Theo would’ve taken this personally. He would’ve blamed himself. But he was finally starting to get past that self-doubt and guilt. It was a good look on him. 

“Core, can you reach Mason now?” 

“I wish. I checked a few minutes ago. They must be using some kind of jammer. There’s no cell service and they cut the phone lines. We’re cut off from the outside. Oh, if only someone had sent a message earlier!” 

“Corey,” Theo said sharply, but there was a thready note to his voice that Corey didn’t like. He had been around too many of Theo’s panic attacks to not be able to tell when one was building. As much as he wanted to continue to bait Hayden, Theo was more important. 

“You’re right. I’m sorry,” Corey shook his head, forcing himself to focus on his best friend. “Can you use your connection thing with Liam to get him here?” 

Theo frowned. “Trust me, I’ve been trying. I don’t know how this thing works on a good day and when I’m stressed I can’t… and I’m trying but….” 

“Hey,” Corey said, turning invisible to make it across the room to his best friend. “It’s going to be okay. We’ve been in worse shit than this before, right? We made it then. We’ll make it now.” 

“Yeah?” Theo asked, hazel eyes searching his. Corey mustered a bright smile and placed the older chimera’s hand over his heart. 

“Yes. We’re going to be okay.” 

Theo nodded, closing his eyes and letting the steady heartbeat under his fingers ground him. Corey stood there prepared to give him all the time that he needed. None of the other officers gathered in the room protested and pointedly ignored the two boys giving them the illusion of privacy. An illusion that was promptly shattered. 

“Why don’t we just howl?” Hayden’s voice brought them both of the moment. 

“Howl?” Theo murmured, arching an eyebrow. “You do realize that’s only going to escalate things further, don’t you? Right now, they don’t know exactly where we are in the building. But if we howl, then they do. Of course, once their backup gets here and they storm the building that’s a wrap. But I’m going to not think about that right now.” 

“Good boy,” Corey interjected. 

“Try and rub my stomach again and I will break your hand, Corey,” Theo threatened, but the smile on his face totally ruined that. “There has to be a way to get a signal through.” 

“I’ll go get Stiles. He probably learned something in the week he was at the Academy that could help,” Corey volunteered. 

Theo agreed, muttering not so quietly about how Stiles really did attend the Academy for a week before he left to hunt Derek down and came back to full agent status. Though he complained the most, Theo was the first one to recommend using Stiles’ full agent status in the hunt for Monroe. So his best friend was an adorable hypocrite. Corey loved him anyway. 

He had just reached the stairwell when a sharp and distinct howl ripped through the air. Instinct made him look towards Theo even though he knew the chimera would never. But there was one idiot in the room who would. 

“Hayden, what the actual fuck was that?!” Theo growled, stepping closer to the girl. His eyes were glowing blue and for the first time in a long time, Corey was reminded just how dangerous Theo could be. Good luck, Hayden. 

“Chill, now the others will know they’re needed. You’re welcome,” Hayden said, rolling her eyes. 

Theo growled again, it was a low and dangerous sound. Corey fought the instinct to flee. The officers gathered in the room were similarly fighting the fight or flight instinct. 

“I’ve tried,” Theo started, his voice barely a whisper but all the more menacing for it. “I’ve tried to make it work with you. But I get it now. The others were right. You really are a stupid…” Theo trailed off with his head cocked to the side. 

It was only because he was watching Theo so carefully that Corey caught the moment his eyes widened in surprise. He muttered a curse before ordering everyone to get down. It said a lot about the interactions between the pack and the local police that no one questioned Theo’s sudden orders. Instead, they all hit the ground. 

Well, they all did except Hayden. She was apparently too busy scoffing to hear multiple safeties being clicked off outside. Theo groaned and tackled her to the ground just as a hail of bullets rained down on the once quiet station. 

Corey hunched further behind his protective cover hoping that it would be enough. He tried to keep track of where everyone was but Theo and Hayden were too far away for him to try and check on them. He yearned to do something but werechameleon didn’t exactly scream secret badass. Fortunately, hellhound did. 

He dared to peek around the corner when he heard more gunshots coming from the station. It was then that he saw Jordan in full hellhound mode charging towards the hunters. That would hold them off for a little while. He scrambled to his feet, eager to get back and in the room and check on his friend. 

He passed by a few officers who while hurt didn’t seem to be in critical condition. Given their lives, Corey was content with taking that as a win. He started to make a comment to Theo along those lines when he realized that the older chimera hasn’t said anything since his warning about the hunters. That was not like him at all.

“Theo?”

When he didn’t get a response, Corey slowly walked over to where Theo was still lying sprawled across Hayden. Then suddenly he was twitching. The relief Corey felt at even that slightest of movements was short lived as he realized it was just Hayden, literally shoving Theo away from her. 

“I’m fine. Thanks for asking,” she snarked, climbing to her feet. 

Corey rolled his eyes, preparing to say something cutting and rude that would make Theo disappointed in him when he took a good look at her. “Hayden, you’re bleeding! A lot!”

Her own eyes widened as she looked down at her shirt that was stained with blood. Too much blood. He might not like her but that didn’t mean he wanted her to die. Corey was skidding across the distance between them. She was still staring shakily at her body when Corey reached her. 

“It’s… it’s not mine,” she whispered. Her gaze lifted to meet Corey before flickering over to Theo, who still hadn’t moved. “It’s not my blood. I’m not hurt. It’s not mine. I’m okay.”

Corey tuned out Hayden’s rambling and crashed to his knees beside Theo. “No,” Corey cried. “No, no, no this is not happening. You were supposed to be okay!”

“Sorry,” Theo choked out, causing Corey to jump. He looked into Theo’s pale face that was etched in pain. “You okay?”

“Yeah, dummy,” Corey answered tearfully. “I didn’t get shot. I’m going to help you turn over, okay? I think all the damage is on your back.”

“Okay,” Theo gave a slight nod. Corey braced himself and helped Theo to turn onto his stomach. Even though they moved slowly, he could feel it took a lot out of the other chimera. 

“Oh god,” Corey moaned as the full extent of the damage that was Theo was revealed. He counted at least three bullet wounds, one dangerously close to his spine, and judging by the lack of blood on his front, the bullets were still in there. “Fuck.”

“That bad, huh?” 

“Theo, I swear to god. If you don’t stop trying to make me feel better by cracking dumb jokes, I’m going to hurt you myself.” 

“I’m an atheist.”

“You’re an asshole.” Corey countered though he couldn’t hide the fondness in his voice. 

His hands fluttered uselessly over Theo’s back. He knew what he had to do but he also knew it was going to hurt like hell. But the longer they left the bullets in there, the longer the artificial poison would burn through Theo’s body. Even Corey could smell it. It was worse than actual wolfsbane. He needed to get the bullets out but he felt paralyzed. 

“Ah, shit, kid,” Noah’s voice snapped him out of his dazed trance. The sheriff knelt down on Theo’s other side. He leaned down to whisper something into Theo’s ear that had him relaxing a little more. Then his blue eyes were focused on Corey. “What do we need?”

“A lighter, water, rubbing alcohol, some bandages and something for Theo to bite down on,” Corey rattled off, feeling slightly better now that someone else was there. “I got the nine herbs on me.” 

“Gotta love Melissa and Chris. They’re prepared for everything,” Noah muttered before rising to get the needed items. 

He hadn’t even made it up before several deputies were there handing them what they needed. One of the deputies was Hayden’s sister. She was looking at the wounded chimera with a mix of emotions playing across her face. Corey ignored it in favor of getting to work helping Theo. 

By the time they were ready to dig the bullets out, Stiles was back in the room. He was sitting with Theo’s face pressed against his thigh, running a soothing hand through his hair. Theo was awake, barely, and as much as his red-rimmed yet open gaze was keeping Corey from panicking, he wished Theo could just pass out. This next part was going to be rough. 

That turned out to be an understatement. It took both Jordan and Corey holding him down to keep Theo from thrashing away from Noah, who to his credit made quick work of removing the bullets. Though his cries were muffled thanks to the belt between his teeth, Corey heard enough to break his heart. Finally, Noah was done. He spread the burnt ash of the nine herbs into the wounds and bandaged them so they could heal. 

But after a few minutes, it was becoming clear that they weren’t healing. And Theo’s raspy breathing was slowing down. 

“Theo, you have to heal,” Corey pleaded. His wounds were too severe for them to try and lift him up. Also, the small matter of the hunters still lurking outside. They backed down for now but Corey doubter they were just going to let them whisk their injured friend to the hospital. The hospital that was still likely under siege. “You have to heal.”

“Trying…” Theo gasped. “Hurts… hurts so…” he trailed off as a choked off scream escaped his lips seemingly against his will.  

“I know,” Corey murmured, holding Theo’s hand tightly. He knew he couldn’t take the pain. Whatever genetic cocktail made him a chimera left out that handy ability. He couldn’t help Theo manage the pain. He couldn’t help Theo do the one damn thing he needed to do in order to stand a chance at making it through this. “Please.”

He could hear Theo’s heart weakening. The hand clasped tightly between his was clammy with barely any pressure against his. Corey closed his eyes and prayed to any and all deities that whatever that made them chimeras could help him save his friend. He was so focused on his thoughts that he didn’t notice the burning in his hand until it became too much. 

“What?” Corey murmured, opening his eyes to see thick black lines traveling from Theo to him. But it wasn’t just the pain (so much pain) it was the fear and the acceptance and the panic. No wonder Theo threw up after taking Gabe’s pain. This was intense. But at least Theo wasn’t dying, unlike Gabe. Theo wasn’t dying, damnit. He wasn’t…. 

Somewhere in the distance, a banshee screamed. Stiles, Noah, and Corey all tensed before looking down at the prone chimera. Despite the brief respite of pain, he was still not healing and growing weaker. Lydia’s scream confirmed what Corey didn’t want to think about. Didn’t even want to consider. And even with the confirmation, he wasn’t going to put it out there. Theo was going to be okay. He had to be. 

Twin howls echoed Lydia’s scream and Corey recognized them down to his bones. It was Scott and Liam. They got the message. They knew they were needed. They would help. They would fix this. 

“They’re coming,” Corey whispered against Theo’s hand. The pain was overwhelming but if there was even a chance that it could help, Corey wasn’t about to let go. “You just have to hold on because they’re coming.” 

He let out a shaky exhale when he realized that Theo was no longer gripping his hand at all. Corey had to strain to hear his heartbeat and his breaths were shallow and reedy. It wasn’t enough. Even though he could finally take Theo’s pain, it wasn’t enough. Theo was still going to die. He heard Stiles let out a sob and knew that was it. Theo was going to die if he didn’t find a way to heal just enough to hold on. But if the pain that he was feeling was any indicator of what Theo was experiencing, Corey understood why he couldn’t focus. Corey was losing track himself. That’s the only he had for why it took him so long to notice Hayden creeping closer. 

“What do you want? To get a better look? Make sure he’s dead once and for all?!” Stiles snapped in her direction. “No, don’t you dare touch him!”

Corey looked up to see Hayden reaching towards Theo with a shaky hand. His eyes trailed up to her face and he wasn’t at all surprised to see the tears there. Her eyes were wide with surprise and something else. Something he knew all too well. 

“It won’t work unless you care,” Corey pointed out, not in a challenge but more of acknowledgment. Hayden gave a jerky nod. 

“He saved my life,” she muttered in response but her eyes were only on Theo. “He… you weren’t supposed to do that, you idiot. You never do what anyone expects you to do, do you?” Hayden gave a teary laugh, finally placing her hand on Theo’s arm. “I guess it’s my turn now.”

Corey knew he was supposed to be surprised by the black lines that appeared on her arms but he wasn’t. He knew she felt it too. The same spark that both pushed and pulled him away from Theo when he first came back. Hayden felt it too and it seemed she wasn’t fighting it anymore. About damn time…

“Weird,” Theo’s hoarse voice brought their attention back to him. 

Corey looked down to see Theo’s eyes were cracked open. The pained hazel orbs were roaming between his two former chimera pack mates. A slight smirk tilted his bloodstained lips. 

“Tell me about it,” Hayden smiled in return. “Is it any better?”

“Yeah,” Theo said, clearly lying. Hayden rolled her eyes and held on tighter. 

Corey didn’t know how long he sat there taking as much of Theo’s pain as he could but he noticed with some relief that some of the more drastic wounds were starting to look better. He was dimly aware of the others talking about getting an ambulance but it was all background noise. His world had dimmed down to just him, Theo and Hayden. 

“It’s okay, Corey. You can let go now.”

He didn’t know who was talking but he knew there hands on him. Hands trying to move him away from Theo. He was the only one keeping him alive. No, not the only one. There was Hayden. Where was Hayden? He opened his eyes, not sure when they closed, to see the former chimera standing a short distance away. Did she quit? She didn’t think it was…

“Corey, it’s okay. They got him now. He wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself too.”

Corey blinked, looking down to see that there were significantly more people there than he remembered. People that were currently taking Theo’s pain. He felt the hands moving him again but he didn’t fight. Instead, he let who he now realized was Stiles guide him away from his best friend.

From there, things moved quickly but to Corey, it was like he was watching through a filter. Scott and Liam scooped Theo up as carefully as they could and bundled him in a waiting ambulance. Chris was tending to a frantic looking Alec while Noah, Parrish, and the other deputies finished rounding up the rest of the hunters. 

The world finally righted itself as he found himself staring into a familiar pair of brown eyes. Corey felt himself break as he launched himself into Mason’s embrace only feeling safe when his boyfriend’s arms tightly wound around him in response. 

“You’re okay,” Mason crooned, rubbing Corey’s back gently. “I got you. It’s okay.”

“He was dying,” Corey cried, burying his face on Mason’s shoulder. “He was dying and it almost wasn’t enough. He almost….”

“It’s okay. He’s not dead. And his mom and Liam’s dad are going to fix him up. You know Melissa. She won’t let him die.”

Corey laughed around a sob and nodded. Melissa was just as stubborn as her sons, adopted and biological. There was no way that Melissa was going to let Theo go. She would fight death (and probably win) to save her son. Dr. Geyer also adored Theo, not just because he was pretty much married to his son but because Theo helped launch the successful supernatural wing at the hospital. Mason was right, Theo was going to be okay. There was no way he was going to be anything other than that. 

“Yeah, you’re right,” Corey murmured. “I love you, Mase. So much.”

“I love you too,” Mason answered, pulling away slightly to meet his gaze. He offered him a wide smile. “You want to wait at the hospital?”

“Yeah, I don’t think I can be that far away from him right now.”

“I get it. I would be losing my mind if this was Liam. You don’t have to explain.”

Not for the first time, Corey was struck by how lucky he was to have Mason in his life. His boyfriend was the best. 

“Parrish, why don’t you take everyone to the hospital?” The sheriff said, prompting the two boys to separate entirely. Jordan looked like he was going to protest and offer to stay. Noah smiled softly. “You’re exhausted. And I know if Lydia screamed it’s because she had a death vision and you probably did too. So go wait at the hospital. I know you want to.”

“You’re right,” Jordan said, sheepishly. He turned towards the others. “You can hitch a ride with me, if you want.”

“Yeah, thanks, Jordan,” Chris sighed, wearily. He had an arm around a silent and shaken Alec. Theo was really going to have to quit it with the near death experiences before his brother ended up with a complex…. A bigger one than he already had. 

“Of course. I have room for all of you. Even you, Hayden… if you’re coming that is.”

Corey looked up to see that the girl was hunched over, her face pale and pinched with pain and emotions. He knew the feeling. Theo was always intense. Corey wasn’t surprised that a dying Theo felt like being sucked into the right side of a hurricane. Add in that Hayden hadn’t been particularly nice to Theo and yet he almost died saving her life… yeah, Corey got that she was feeling a little lost. 

That’s why he didn’t hesitate to reach his free hand towards her, linking their fingers together. She met his gaze with teary eyes. He nodded. She gave him a wan smile. And that was that. Alec gave a token protest before backing down and allowing his father to steer him towards the Jeep that Jordan was using. 

Corey sat sandwiched between Mason and Hayden and despite everything he felt safe. He felt content. Theo would be okay. There was no doubt in his mind. And he had a feeling that things would settle down with Hayden after this. And so Corey settled his weight further into Mason and closed eyes, finally feeling safe enough to let go. 

* * *

Three years ago, Hayden Romero died. But it was okay because she also came back. A narcissistic sociopathic bastard brought her back in his mad quest to take over the McCall pack for glory. He was thankfully stopped and trapped in the prison he deserved. Or so she believed for three damn years. Now she realized that she was wrong. She was wrong about a lot of things. There was nothing narcissistic or sociopathic about Theo. He was giving and so selfless. And he didn’t want the pack for glory. He wanted to belong. She misjudged him from the very beginning and it was that misjudgment that kept her on the outs from her own pack for a month. 

When she returned to Beacon Hills, she naively thought that things would still be the same. That she could pick up with Liam where they left off. But the war against the hunters changed them. It brought them together. It brought Theo into the fold and pushed Hayden out entirely. She didn’t fit in the role she had before and she didn’t know how to cope with that. So she lashed out and attacked the one she perceived as a threat. She really was an idiot. 

Hayden sat tucked away in her own corner of the hospital waiting room the pack had commandeered watching the people she realized she never really knew to begin with. With news of Theo being in the hospital, the others were on their way back. They were all successful in fending off the various attacks and now it was time to regroup and wait to see if one of their own would survive the night. 

Lydia was curled up on an equally exhausted looking Jordan’s lap. Neither of them were sleeping. Hayden caught them both looking towards the door of the room as if they could summon someone with their minds. And maybe they could. She had no idea what death omens we’re capable of. Corey was snuggled into Mason’s embrace until finally the chimera pushed him towards the obviously agitated Liam. Her ex was pacing with an increasingly more frantic energy. Mason approached him slowly but soon had him backed into a corner, arms wrapped around one another. She looked away then as she could smell the salt from Liam’s tears. 

She didn’t know much about Chris Argent but she knew that the man was tough and stoic. None of that was evident in that moment as he held the youngest of his adopted sons in his arms. Scott was a steady presence on his other side. Stiles was posted against the wall next to Scott. One hand rested on the alpha’s shoulder while the other held his phone. Hayden could make out the tinny voices of Isaac and Malia with occasional interjections from Derek. Apparently, they couldn’t wait until they got home for updates and were both demanding constant updates on Theo’s condition, how Scott was holding up and in general how everything was unfolding in real time. Stiles didn’t appear nearly as put out about it as he pretended to be. 

“You okay?” Corey asked, settling down by her side. She tensed, sitting up straight from her previously slouched position. 

“I’m not the one that got shot,” Hayden retorted, for the sake of arguing not because she genuinely felt hostile. 

“No, but you are the one who took the pain from the one that got shot. I know I feel like a freight train slammed into me and Theo is my best friend so I’m used to his dramatic maelstrom of emotion. I can’t imagine how you feel when you hated him up until an hour ago.” 

“I didn’t hate….” Hayden rolled her eyes at his pointed look. “I really don’t hate him. I was jealous. And insecure. Theo was just an easy target to focus those feelings on. Because you’re all right. I didn’t fit in the pack before and I definitely didn’t fit when I got back. And I knew that and it hurt so much.” She sighed. “I don’t hate him. He… confuses me.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean. I didn’t know what it was but I both wanted to be around him and to push him far away. I didn’t get it at first because I’ve never been in a pack.”

Hayden’s eyes widened as she thought about what Corey was saying. The spark she felt towards Theo was similar to what she sometimes felt with Scott, though it was stronger with the latter because he bit her. But now that she thought about it, it was there fluttering for attention in her heart. 

“Pack… it’s a bond.”

“Theo was only our alpha because he said it. But there was always a spark, a connection because he brought us back. But back then he was entirely too damaged to even remotely understand what a pack meant. But now… it’s not enough to overwrite what you have with Scott but it’s there. It’s like this buzz and this extra sense that tells you the idiot is in danger.”

Hayden giggled. “The chimera pack lives again.”

“The significantly less murdery and evil chimera pack,” Corey corrected. “It was a thing. Theo was going to sacrifice himself for the pack. Technically, he did actually. Almost died. Yeah.”

Hayden heard the sadness in his tone. She felt it too. Now that she was paying attention to the feeling, she could also feel Corey. Scott would always be the alpha to her wolf. But on a deeper level, she was pack with Theo and Corey. She spent too long trying to run away from it. But that was done. She was going to embrace it for whatever it was worth. 

“He does that a lot, doesn’t he? Almost die?” 

“Yeah,” Corey murmured. “He’s kind of an idiot that way.” 

Hayden didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around the sad chimera beside her. “He’s going to be okay. We can both feel it. He’s still hanging on.” 

“I know.” 

She rested her head against his and just breathed. She lost track of how long they were all sitting there. But when she finally looked up because she heard Melissa approaching, she noticed there were significantly more pack members present. The sheriff made it along with all of the Hales and Isaac. Whatever they were all doing before she walked in the room was forgotten as they all sat up straight. 

“Mom?” Scott’s quiet voice broke the silence. “Is he…?” 

Melissa took a shaky breath before nodding. “He’s okay. It was close. So damn close but he’s okay. He’s going to be okay.” 

A wave of relief went over the room. Liam sagged into Mason’s waiting arms. Isaac similarly found himself with an armful of alpha. Chris and Alec were embracing the equally emotional Melissa. A few days ago, the amount of love these people had for Theo was confusing to Hayden. She didn’t understand what they saw in him. Didn’t understand how they could care. But after taking his pain. After seeing the parts of him that he didn’t show, she understood. She thought how much they loved him was strange but she knew it wasn’t even a fraction of what he felt for them. Theo loved them all so much. It was all-consuming. She only hoped that one day he would let himself believe that he deserved it in return. 

She smiled, rising to her feet to join the happy pack. One way or another, she was here now. She understood what her role was. Even if she wasn’t a member of the McCall Pack after this night, she would always have her connection with Theo and Corey. She was going to honor that and be the friend she should’ve been from the beginning. She was going to work as hard as Theo to prove that she was worth taking a second chance on.

* * *

 

“Isn’t he supposed to be awake by now? Your dad said he would be but he’s not. Are you sure your dad knows what he’s talking about?”

“He’s a world-renowned physician! I’m going to take your comments as a reflection of your concern for Theo and not as you casting aspersions on my father’s good name!” 

“Who the hell taught you the word aspersions?” 

A dry chuckle distracted Liam from the fact that he was about to rearrange Alec’s face and he didn’t even care that the brat’s father and brother (aka his Alpha) were there. He did however care about the tired, but pain-free hazel eyes blinking slowly in his direction. Liam lifted the hand that had been loosely wrapped around his up to his lips. The grip tightened slightly and a small smile formed on Theo’s lips. 

“Hey there, handsome,” Liam murmured, smiling in return. “You with us this time?” 

“This time?” Theo repeated, brow furrowed. 

“You woke up for a little while before but that’s when the meds were still working. So you didn’t make a lot of sense,” Chris answered, from his spot at the foot of the bed. “It pays to have a parent on the medical team. They give you the good stuff.” 

“Also helps that most of the nursing staff and a few doctors have a crush on him,” Melissa added, breezing into the room with Alec on her heels. Liam did a double take. He didn’t even know the younger wolf left the room. Then again, if it wasn’t Theo then Liam really didn’t care much in that moment. He was awake and he was here. 

“Is everyone okay?” 

“Theo, you wake up in a hospital room and your first question is about everyone else?” Scott asked, fondly exasperated. 

Theo rolled his eyes. “Well, obviously I’m not okay because I’m in a hospital room! But I don’t know about everyone else…. Wait, Hayden! Is she… did she get hurt? Where is…?”

“I’m here,” Hayden said, moving from her corner of the room to stand by the chimera’s bedside. Theo’s eyes roamed all over as if checking for hidden bullets. Hayden submitted to the silent checkup with quiet bemusement. Liam raised an eyebrow. “Not a scratch on me. It’s okay.”

Theo nodded, settling back against the pillows Scott was fluffing up behind him. Liam watched with a grin as Alec stepped over to their side, also hovering and try to make their brother comfortable when he already clearly was. It was another reminder that under the constant sass they threw at one another, Theo, Alec and Scott truly did love one another. 

“How long was I out this time?”

“Two days,” Melissa answered, rubbing his blanket covered leg. “Expect to be here at least another three to five. It took Lori three days to shake it off and she has full werewolf healing and wasn’t shot five times.” 

“Speaking of,” Chris started, arms crossed over his chest. “What exactly happened at the police station?”

Theo’s eyes flickered between Corey and Hayden as if he was searching for some kind of answer. Hayden averted her gaze while Corey gave a helpless shrug. Theo bit his lip before looking back to his parents. 

“You all didn’t debrief?”

“Theo, you’ve been unconscious in the hospital for two days,” Melissa chided. “When did you think anyone was going to debrief?”

“Valid,” he nodded. “Well… it’s just that there were more hunters than we anticipated and we got overwhelmed.”

Liam narrowed his eyes. Theo’s heart was steady but there was something else that he wasn’t saying. Though Theo gave up his manipulative ways, he wasn’t above breaking them out every now and then. Especially if he thought he was protecting someone. 

“Why didn’t you call for backup?” Liam asked, ignoring the faint feeling of betrayal for pushing the issue. “We could’ve spared Alec.”

“Totally called that,” Theo muttered before looking back to Hayden and Corey. 

At some point, Corey moved so he was standing beside Hayden. She looked contemplative while Corey looked sympathetic. Not for the first time, Liam was wondering what was going on there. The two had been weirdly attached at the hip since the police station and no one seemed to understand why. Well, Stiles seemed to know but he also wasn’t sharing. He was simply standing in the corner, offering silent support and seemingly looking for… something. 

“I’m sorry,” Theo finally answered. “Things happened so fast and I couldn’t think straight. I messed up and I’m really sorry.”

“Let’s try that again but without the lies,” Chris countered. Theo’s eyes widened. “Yes, I know you’re lying. You, my kid? The kid who has a backup plan for his eight backup plans was suddenly overwhelmed and couldn’t think fast enough?”

Theo raked a hand through his hair looking frustrated. Once again, he looked to Corey and Hayden. Liam really wanted to know what was up with that. Whatever it was started at the police station and Liam was willing to do whatever it took to…

“It was me,” Hayden blurted out. “It was my fault. Theo told me to call Mason or Lydia and I didn’t because I didn’t trust him. Then I howled even though Theo told me not to. I screwed up and Theo saved me anyway.” She gave Theo a small smile when he tried to protest. “All of this is my fault.

I have acted like a total psycho since I’ve been back and I’m… words can’t actually express how humiliated and sorry I am. I don’t deserve your forgiveness yet but I’m going to ask for it anyway, Theo. And I’m going to earn it. I promise.”

Theo’s already wide eyes grew impossibly larger as he swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. Hayden then turned to the rest of the pack. 

“I owe you all an apology too. Lydia was right. I wasn’t pack before. I was Liam’s girlfriend and that was it. I didn’t even try. And I’m sorry. I would like to genuinely try this time and get to know you all.”

“Is this… is this because of the thing I have with Corey? Do you feel it too?”

“You knew about that?!” Corey asked incredulously. “You never brought it up.”

“Of course I knew,” Theo replied, looking offended at the implication he wouldn’t know. “I told Scott about it. I didn’t want anyone thinking I was trying to take over the pack or anything like that.”

“And what did Scott have to say about that?” Liam asked, despite knowing exactly what their beloved alpha had to say about that. 

“He said that was the dumbest thing he heard all week and he had just finished a conversation with Alec. So you know… feelings were hurt.”

“Sounds about right.”

“I’m not dumb!” Alec protested with obviously feigned outrage. 

“Of course you’re not, kiddo,” Chris said, easily slinging an arm around Alec’s shoulders. “You just learn differently than your brothers.”

“Exactly!” Alec paused, craning his neck to glare at his father. “Wait! That wasn’t a compliment!”

What was sure to be an even longer banter session between the family was cut off by Hayden laughing. His ex looked fond and amused by the siblings interacting. And most of it was directed to Theo. That was something that was going to take some getting used to. Hayden went from hating Theo for breathing to suddenly caring about him. Definitely going to take some getting used to. 

“Hayden, we gave you a second chance before and it almost got Theo killed,” Liam said plainly. 

“I get that,” Hayden nodded, sounding genuinely remorseful. “I don’t blame you for not trusting me or wanting me around. I don’t have to be in the pack. I could be like an ally or something.”

“No, that’s not going to work,” Alec surprisingly countered. “The last time this pack didn’t trust someone and called them an ally instead of pack, the idiot almost died several times, still makes it a habit to try every now and then and ended up pretty much marrying our second alpha. We’re running out of alphas here. So I say welcome to the damn pack. Don’t fuck it up.” 

Theo snorted, reaching for Alec. “You’re not bad, kid. You know that?”

“Not bad?” Alec scoffed, squeezing Theo’s hand in return. “I’m the best brother you have!”

“That’s true.” 

“Wait… screw you guys!”

And as round three of the ridiculousness that is Alec, Theo and Scott being in the same round broke out again, Liam made a silent promise. He would trust Hayden this time but it was the last time. She wouldn’t get a third chance to hurt Theo. If the chimera had so much as a papercut because of something she did, she would pay. It was that simple. 

His eyes met Chris’ and then Stiles and he saw the same steely determination there. Yeah, she had this one last chance. And that was it.

* * *

 

Hayden, thankfully, never needed a third. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so we've reached another conclusion. Hope you all enjoyed. Going back to fluff for a while. This story was draining!

**Author's Note:**

> I had to end this on a higher note. There's still more healing for Theo to come and more confrontations with Hayden. Keynote, the redemption in the tags doesn't refer to Theo anymore.


End file.
